


The Puppy, the Five Frogs, and the Not-So-Charming Prince

by non_andare



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: BAMF Donna, BAMF Mike, Denial of Feelings, Donna is Donna, Emotionally Constipated Harvey Specter, First Kiss, First Slash Fanfic, Frustrated Mike, Get Together, Jealous Harvey, Just Kiss Already!, Kissing, M/M, Male Slash, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Mike, Pining Mike, Protective Harvey Specter, emotional angst, oblivious Harvey, pining Harvey, poor puppy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-08 21:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4321809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/non_andare/pseuds/non_andare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's sad, isn't it?" A voice sounded behind her, and Rachel jumped at least a foot in the air as she turned to face the scary (hot, beautiful, amazing) redhead behind her.</p><p>"Donna! You scared the shit out of me." She said, panting to catch her breath.</p><p>"You know what's scary?" Donna asked conspiratorially, elegantly quirking an eyebrow. "Mike and Harvey. Or more specifically, the fact that there is no Mike and Harvey despite the big bad wolf being clearly in love with the puppy and the puppy reciprocating those feelings, but being too afraid to act on them because he knows Prince Charming hates feelings."</p><p>"And what will we do about that?" Rachel asked, and Donna just smiled in a Donna-like way.</p><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>Or the time in which Mike and Harvey are two oblivious idiots in love and Rachel, Donna, Louis, Harold (and unknowingly, Jessica) work together to get Harvey jealous enough to finally pursue Mike by sending the little puppy on some really, really bad dates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Plan

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Suits.

Rachel Zane was arguably the best the paralegal at Pearson Hardman. You don't get your very own office without being amazing at your job, after all. In her five years so far working at Pearson Hardman, she'd encountered all sorts of people. Grabby associates, slightly eccentric clients, more eccentric partners, and downright insane people that had shaken her faith in humanity. But one thing was true; everyone who worked at Pearson Hardman was intelligent (that was exaggerating for some of the associates, but they got better after Louis tore them a new one and a couple months of therapy).

Her firm belief of this point had never been challenged until she met Mike Ross. Mike Ross was undoubtedly an intelligent person. He had to be, otherwise Harvey Specter wouldn't give him the time of day, never mind hiring him to be his associate and training him as his protégé. Still, how could someone as intelligent as him not notice... all of the looks he gave to his role model, his hero, the arrogant ass everyone knew and well... had strong opinions about, Harvey Specter, all of them were reciprocated. Normally, Rachel wouldn't notice what the associates did, but Mike was special. He was actually competent, and she took it upon herself to ensure that his competency was not ruined by the stupid ass he loved. Not that Harvey was stupid, just... too chicken to make a move.

Rachel sipped her coffee in an effort to calm herself as she passed by Harvey's office, pausing to notice Mike grinning up at the older man. Harvey was standing in front of Mike, and judging by his crossed arms and the partially-hidden stern expression on his face, he was berating Mike. A few minutes passed and Mike's grin seemed to fade as he seemed to realize his mentor (and the love of his life, although he wouldn't admit it) was actually angry. Then, Harvey reached forward and offered his fist, receiving fist bump and a blinding grin in return.

"It's sad, isn't it?" Rachel squeaked and turned around to face the voice, almost dropping her coffee cup.

"Donna! You scared me!" She exclaimed, trying to catch her breath. The redhead smiled sweetly and strutted forward, looking as if every step she took was on a runway and not the carpeted floors of Pearson Hardman. She looked as if belonged on a runway too, dressed in an elegant aquamarine dress that hugged her curves. The secretary sat down and beckoned Rachel forward with one elegantly crooked finger and a come-hither-now-or-face-my-wrath expression. Rachel had never been the type to deny a pretty girl, even if she was super scary. In a good way though, scary in a good way. Donna please don't suddenly develop mind-reading abilities.

"You know what's really scary? That." Donna said, pointing an accusing finger at the two men behind the set of glass doors separating Harvey's office from Donna. Those glass doors would be shattered if looks could kill, judging by the intensity and sheer will behind Donna's glare.

"You know?!" Rachel asked, mentally face-palming herself at the deadpan look she received in reply.

"I'm Donna." She said simply as way of explaining, and Rachel nodded her understanding. "But you don't need to be the Goddess-of-Wisdom to know that Harvey and the puppy love each other. Everyone knows, except for Mike and Harvey themselves."

"Mike's just shy. He doesn't want to make a move on Harvey 'cause he's afraid of being shot down." Donna looked at her with interest in her eyes and Rachel tried not to blush.

"And where did you receive this piece of intel?" Donna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mike told me." She replied, and Donna's eyes seemed to gleam.

"So he told you that he has a crush on Harvey?" Rachel nodded her affirmative. "Interesting... very interesting indeed."

"What's interesting?" The pair turned to the newcomer. Mike was standing in front of Donna's desk, his hair just slightly mussed and a stack of files in his arms. Rachel glanced at Harvey, who was now sitting at his desk, tossing a baseball up and catching it in the air, a steady rhythm that captivated her for a moment.

"Your tie." Donna replied effortlessly, causing Rachel to shift her gaze to the offending object. "It's making me dizzy." It was... something else. Black and white stripes on polyester, Rachel recognized with a grimace.

"Not you too! Please, spare me the scathing comments." He groaned, and Rachel smiled. Mike looked just adorable when he was pouting. She contemplated taking a picture to document the sight.

"But why? How will you ever learn if no one tells you, puppy?" She asked, and Mike glared in a distinctly puppy-like way.

"Listen, Donna. Harvey already chewed me out for my "unacceptable attire", okay?" His voice shifted in timbre and volume as he tried to imitate Harvey's voice. "You represent Pearson Hardman, the best law firm in the city, arguably the world. There is no way that you're wearing that monstrosity while you're still my associate. So change or you're fired." Rachel burst into laughter, earning a grin from Mike. "He's such a hard-ass."

The intercom buzzed to life.

"Don't even try, Mike. You can't even come close to imitating me. I am one of a kind." Mike squawked in surprise but quickly regained his composure, making a face at Harvey at his last words. "Get to work, puppy. And put on a different tie! "

Mike mock-saluted his mentor before rushing off to his cubicle, looking forlorn.

Donna quickly turned the intercom off and faced Rachel with a raised eyebrow. "This is unacceptable. You saw that, right?" Rachel nodded.

"What can we do, besides locking them in a broom closet and forcing them to kiss?" Donna's slightly. terrifying grin caused Rachel to back up just a smidge. The redhead glared at her in response, reaching forward and wrapping her fingers around Rachel's wrist to drag her forward.

"Enter my desk, mortal, and prepare to be enlightened." Dumbfounded, Rachel stood with her mouth hanging open. "Seriously, Rach, get in so we can discuss the plan." Rachel immediately stepped inside the little partition, marveling at the little space that Donna had, but seemed to just own.

"It's quite roomy." Donna gave her a look that seemed to convey an infinite amount of patience.

"Rachel, it’s a desk. You're not the first to come into my space." Rachel was conflicted with being embarrassed and jealous. She settled on being slightly miffed. "Here's the plan. Harvey, god bless his soul, is a great man. He is kind and protective and although he'll never admit it, he cares a lot. More than a girl PMSing. He's just a raging bottle of emotions." Rachel nodded her agreement.

"But, he's also a jealous bastard." She said, and Rachel grinned as understanding dawned on her. Donna beckoned Rachel closer and whispered in her ear. After a few moments, Rachel smiled and stood, looking at Donna with an expression of awe.

"That's... brilliant, Donna! Genius!" She exclaimed just a little bit too loudly, causing Harvey to look up from his desk and give them a confused look. Donna waved at him and he shook his head bemusedly before dropping his head back down to his work.

"Donna." The pair turned once again to see a familiar balding, short, fat- excuse me, chubby- man marching towards them, his stride purposeful and his head held up in a slightly comical way.

"Louis." She said coolly, her gaze like frost. Louis stopped in his tracks and turned around, detouring from Harvey's office and heading to Donna's desk. "No."

"But-" He began, but Donna just shook her head. "I just wanted to-"

"No, Louis."

"Hear me out, please!" He said, his voice raising an octave as desperation leaked into his tone. Donna exchanged a glance with Rachel and nodded. Louis grinned.

"You have one minute." She announced, activating the timer on her phone.

"Really?! You won't regret it, thank you, thank you." Rachel his her smile with her hand.

"35 seconds left, Louis." Donna said, not taking her eyes off her phone.

"IjustheardyoutalkingaboutMikeandHarveyandI'dreallyliketohelpyou?" He rushed out just as the timer beeped loudly. Rachel blinked once, then twice.

"What?" She asked, glancing at Donna who was giving Louis a calculating look.

"He said he heard us talking about Mike and Harvey and that he wants to help us." Oh. Rachel nodded her understanding. "How long have you been listening to us talk, exactly?" Louis seemed guilty.

"A couple minutes." Donna sighed and turned away from him, causing Louis to hastily blurt out, "Since Mike left! I'm sorry!"

"Why should we let you help?" Donna said, not turning to face him. Rachel felt a smidge of pity for Louis, but it came and went in a flash.

"Donna. I think Mike and Harvey are good for each other." Both Rachel and Donna gave him unimpressed looks. "I really do! Mike needs Harvey to guide him, to help him. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there in associate's pool and a puppy like Mike needs a big bad wolf protecting him." Donna tapped her foot impatiently. "But it's not just that! Harvey needs Mike too! Harvey needs someone to tell him that it's okay to care, that it's okay to be human."

"And why do you care?" Rachel asked, regarding Louis in a different light.

"I like to think that Harvey and I are friends. And Mike is the most promising associate. I want to help them help each other." He said. Rachel watched him carefully. Louis seemed... sincere in his efforts. It was a new, and slightly disconcerting development.

Donna extracted a paper from the printer and handed it along with a pen to Louis. "Sign this and you're in." Louis took it from her and examined it carefully, just like all competent lawyers would've done. Rule Number One: Never sign anything without reading it.

"Is this a NDA?" Louis said, turning his surprised gaze to Donna, who nodded her response. "This is excellent, Donna. Did you write this up?"

"Well, when you work for an attorney for over ten years, you pick up a few things here and there." Louis nodded and signed the non-disclosure agreement with a flourish handing it back to Donna with a smile.

"Alright. We'll meet in the break room at lunch to discuss this further. Now scram." Donna said, shooing them away with a wink to Rachel, who felt the blush she'd fought down rush back to her cheeks.

 

* * *

"But how can we be sure that Mike will agree?" Louis asked, eyeing the others critically. Donna waved her hand dismissively, declaring the point a non-issue.

"He's a puppy. He can be convinced quite easily." She proclaimed, biting into her sandwich with a moan. Rachel pointedly turned away from Donna, focusing on her salad. Yum. Caesar's dressing! Donna licked some sauce off her fingers, and Rachel stabbed her baby tomato just a little bit too viciously. Oops, she thought guiltily.

"So, just to be clear, the plan is to get Mike to go on a bunch of horrible dates so he'll go running into Harvey's arms. And then Harvey will get so jealous that he'll realize that if he wants Mike to be his he'll have to make a move now. Right?" The two ladies nodded, satisfied with Louis's summary. "I'm so excited!" He shrieked.

Synchronously, Donna and Rachel paused in their chewing to give Louis perplexed looks.

"I need some coffee." Donna proclaimed, standing up and heading toward the coffee maker.

"Don't get coffee from that. I have a brand new Mr. Coffee in my office that's just begging to be broken in. If you're interested, that is?" Rachel stopped Donna, smirking at Donna's delighted gasp.

"It would be my pleasure, Ms. Zane." The two stood and opened the door of the break room, only to be faced with a head of blonde hair and wide scared eyes.

"Harold!" Donna exclaimed, yanking him inside and shutting the door with a satisfyingly loud thud. "How much did you hear?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips and giving him the sternest Donna glare she had in her arsenal. Rachel suppressed a shudder and approached Harold with a gentle smile, pushing him down to the chair and taking a seat next to him. Louis glared at the newcomer.

"If you don't tell Donna what you heard, I'll fire you." Louis threatened, raising an eyebrow. Harold whimpered something that sounded distinctly like "Mommy!".

"N-nothing! I didn't hear anything!" He stuttered out, holding hands up to over his face. Donna rolled her eyes and met Rachel's gaze. Guess she would be the good cop.

"Harold, you can tell me. I promise I won't get mad." Harold slowly removed his hands. "And Louis and Donna won't hurt you either."

"Promise?" Rachel nodded, conflicted between feeling embarrassed and annoyed. Harold was not cut out to be a lawyer. "I know what your plan is." Silence shrouded the room following his statement.

"You know, Harold," Louis began, an evil glint in his eyes while his voice remained perfectly steady as if he was telling someone what the weather was like. "-we'll have to kill you now!" Harold seemed horrified. Rachel was afraid that he'd wet his pants.

"Don't be ridiculous, Louis. We'll just cut his tongue out. He can't squeal if he can't speak." Louis nodded, both him and Donna wearing identically grave expressions on their faces.

"Donna, Louis, stop." She said, disarming them with her own glare. She squeezed Harold's shoulder lightly. "Harold won't say anything, right?" Harold nodded terrified.

"Psh. Sure. He's an associate. They'd do anything to save their own asses." Louis said disbelievingly, standing up.

"No, Harold won't say anything because he wants to help us. Isn't that right, Harold?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Please don't hurt me!" Donna threw an impressed look at Rachel, who smiled secretively.

"It wouldn't hurt to have another date for Mike to go on, right Louis?" Louis stared at Donna disbelievingly.

"You seriously believe this swine-" He stopped when both Rachel and Donna glared at him. "Fine Harold. You're in."

Harold burst into a spiel of rambling thank you's and oh-God's and you-won't-regret-this's. Rachel was contemplating telling him that it was okay, that he could leave, but both Donna and Louis seemed pleased to see the associate so terrified. She stepped back towards the door just a smidge more, for her own personal safety.

"Louis!" A voice called as the break room door opened, cutting Harold off mid-rant. "You're late for your meeting!" All four turned to face the newcomer. Harvey stood in front of the door, an irate expression on his tanned face. Louis swore and scurried out of the room. Harvey raised an eyebrow at seeing the other three together, but dismissed it quickly. "Donna, where's Mike?"

"File room." Donna said, throwing away her sandwich wrapper and nodding to Rachel and Harold as she left the room, with Harvey following her. Rachel finished up her salad when Harold coughed loudly, interrupting her devouring.

"R-Rachel?"

"Yes Harold?"

"I-I wanted to thank you. For standing up for me." Rachel hid her smile. Poor naïve associate. He didn't recognize the good cop-bad cop routine? Honestly, poor Harold.

"It's no problem, Harold."

"No really! I wanted to th-thank you properly. W-would you like to go on a date with me?" Rachel calmly stood up, tossing her salad container and turning to face Harold before she exited the break room. She shook her head, causing Harold's hopeful expression to fall.


	2. Harold and the Asshole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mike, I just need you to go on a date with my friend, John." He pleaded, quickening his strides to match Mike's hurried footsteps. 
> 
> "A date?" Harold nodded. 
> 
> "Please! He's one of my closest friends. He's a nice, handsome guy. Your type!" Harold exclaimed, stepping in front of Mike to block his way.
> 
> "Harold, if I say yes, will you let me go?" Harold nodded. Mike sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes. I'll go on the stupid date."
> 
> "Thanks Mike!" Harold, said moving out of the way, but his words fell on deaf ears as Mike was walking as fast as was socially acceptable.

"But Donna, I know the perfect person! He owes me a favor and he's a brilliant actor! Plus, Mike can't say no to me." Louis protested, stomping his foot as Donna stared impassively back at him. Rachel held her head in her hands as she sat at her desk. 

"Louis, I've explained this to you twice already and you know I hate repeating myself. So shut up and listen to me when I say that no, you are not going first." Louis opened his mouth to protest, but Donna threw him The Glare, silencing him effectively. 

"Why did we have to do this in my office again?" Rachel asked, receiving glares from both Donna and Louis in response. "Whatever. Listen, we need to start small. Mike has to be approached by a friend." Seeing Donna's offended look, she hastily retreated, "Both that we aren't friends, but he has to think it's not a big deal in order for it to make the biggest initial impact. Trust me, I know these things." 

Donna was just about to answer when the door to her office was flung open and a blur of blonde hair and blushing cheeks in the form of one Harold Gunderson burst into her office. 

"I'm so sorry I'm late. Did I miss anything?" Donna glances at Rachel, who nods. Louis groans and mutters something about "moronic associates who don't know how to use clocks or alarms" before storming out of the room. 

"Yes. You're up first." Harold's mouth fell open in shock as Donna shouldered past him. Rachel gave him a sympathetic smile. 

"You ok, Harold?" She asked after a few minutes of him standing there in open-mouthed shock. 

"Yeah." He said, still staring at her. 

"Then get out of my office, Harold." He quickly stood and left. 

_Mike bent his head over his desk, the ever present highlighter stuck in his mouth as he contemplated the brief in front of him. There was something fishy about that particular paragraph._

_"Mike?" At the sound of his name, Mike looked up, seeing Harold standing in front of him. The other associate looked nervous, slightly terrified to be honest, but that wasn't unusual. Harold seemed to be terrified to everything at Pearson Hardman, including but not limited to the elevator doors, the stapler, and more recently, the men's bathroom. He looked back down to his briefs, highlighting the remark that had caught his eye._

_"Yes, Harold?" He asked impatiently, highlighting the next sentence. That's it! He needed to get to Harvey, right now, tell him he'd found a loophole in the patent. "I have to go now."_

_"Mike, I need a quick favor." Mike stood, meeting Harold's sincere gaze._

_"Listen, Harold, I can't help you proof briefs okay? I need to get this to Harvey ASAP." He said, pushing his way past Harold, who trailed after him._

_"Mike, I just need you to go on a date with my friend, John." He pleaded, quickening his strides to match Mike's hurried footsteps._

_"A date?" Harold nodded._

_"Please! He's one of my closest friends. He's a nice, handsome guy. Your type!" Harold exclaimed, stepping in front of Mike to block his way._

_"Harold, if I say yes, will you let me go?" Harold nodded. Mike sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes. I'll go on the stupid date."_

_"Thanks Mike!" Harold, said moving out of the way, but his words fell on deaf ears as Mike was walking as fast as was socially acceptable._

_By the time he got to Harvey's office and explained the loophole in the patent, the date was the furthest thing from his mind._

Mike rode up to the front of the diner, putting the brakes on his bike. He reached in his pocket for the padlock Harvey had bought him the first time his bike was stolen. He smiled softly as he recalled how he had walked out of the building after a long day of proofing, briefing, and being on the verge of a breakdown more than once that day, and he saw that his bike was not there, in the safety of the bike rack; when he walked back to Harvey's office, Harvey stopped working, put down his pen, and stood up, grabbing his suit jacket and gently guiding him to his town car. Throughout the entire ordeal, and even on the ride home, Harvey did not say a word, he just knew. 

And although Harvey was not blessed with the gift of knowing everything like Donna, it was clear to Mike the next day when Harvey showed up to work at 2 o' clock (which was late, even for him) and demanded Mike that he come down to the lobby under the guise of a client's meeting and presented him with his stolen bike, and a question of whether or not he wanted to present charges that Harvey knew Mike better than Mike knew about himself. He remembered hugging Harvey (who looked slightly uncomfortable, but returned the hug nonetheless) and desperately willing his tears away, because Harvey just knew. He knew that Mike wasn't upset because he lost a bike, he was upset because he lost the bike his parents gave him. Most importantly of all, Harvey knew without Mike having to tell him. 

He entered the diner. It wasn't small by any means; it was a nice, well-decorated establishment, and judging by the fairly large crowd, it served good food. He didn't find any man sitting at a table alone, so his date was most likely late. A little peeved, Mike took a seat at the counter near the entrance. If worst came to worst and Harold's friend (whom he was being to dislike more and more as the clock ticked past into fifteen minutes late) stood him up, he could leave without making too big of a fool of himself. 

Twenty minutes passed by their designated meeting time, the waitress was giving him sympathetic looks and he was beginning to get ready to leave. 

"Mike Ross?" He looked up from his milkshake to see an admittedly handsome man walking towards him. How Harold met a guy like this was beyond him, he thought as he took in the man's piercing blue eyes and dark, slightly rugged hair, and broad set shoulders. However, any points he had for good looks were immediately invalidated by his tardiness and his general air of douchebaginess. "John McCarthy, nice to meet you. I'm Harold's friend. Sorry I'm late." He held out his (big) hand for Mike to shake. 

Mike stared at it for a moment, waiting for the explanation for him being late, but evidently, this guy did not know when to quit. John raised a brow, acknowledging the rejection, and had the gall to smirk. "I see." The dick leaned forward, crowding into Mike's space, "No worries, I like my men feisty." 

He gaped at John, who waved the waitress over. He ordered in an imperious voice, "One chocolate milkshake," he began, as the waitress nodded and wrote it down, "and bring two straws." The waitress looked towards Mike, raising her eyebrows as if to say 'really, this guy?' and Mike grimaced in response before opening his mouth to order. 

"I'll have a burger, please." He said politely, smiling at her. She smiled back and retreated to the kitchens. John turned in his chair to face him, an amused expression on his face. 

"Well aren't you nice? Good boys are just perfect," he said, leaning forward once again. Mike flinched back and John's leer grew, "not only because they play hard to get," the last three words emphasized by a hand squeezing his knee, "but because everyone knows they're just naughty boys who've never been caught." Mike scooted away from him, trying to remain polite. Seriously? Was every comment a sexual innuendo to this guy? Mike resisted the urge to itch his knee where John had groped it, the skin burning from his touch. 

"Um." He replied, choking on a response, because what sort of response would be acceptable? He was so going to kill Harold after this, he thought, when the waitress returned with their order, saving him from expanding on his oh-so-eloquent response. 

Mike sipped the milkshake, ignoring the way that John slurped his milkshake and leered at Mike. 

"This isn't the only thing you could be drinking tonight, Mikey." Mike resisted the urge to massage his temples like he'd seen those characters do on late-night sitcoms. Mikey. "If you get on your knees and open your mouth real wide, I’ll give you the best damn milkshake you'll ever taste."  
Mike stood up, grabbing his jacket. "Where are you going, Mikey?" John asked, looking confused. That was the final straw. Mike had neither the patience nor the will to deal with idiots like John. 

"Mike." He said quietly. An average person would realize that his voice was low with barely controlled anger, but clearly John was not average; he was far below average. 

"Huh?" The buffoon asked, and this time, Mike did massage his temples with his fingers. 

"My name is Mike. Not Mikey. Mike." John gaped at him, finally hearing the anger in his tone. "You are something else you know that? I have never met a guy as audacious as you." John stood as well, his hands up in a placating manner. 

"Mike, I'm sorry. I'll make you feel real good, I promise. Why don't we head to my place and I'll make you forget this ever happened?" Mike stepped back, heading towards the door before stopping at the exit. 

"Listen buddy, and listen close 'cause I'm not going to repeat myself. I’m not going anywhere with you. You have the audacity to show up twenty minutes late, for which you didn't even properly apologize, and then make shameless passes at me -on our first date, which I only agreed to because it was a favor, mind you- and you expect me to go have sex with you? Well too bad, dickhead, you're not getting laid tonight." He caught the waitress's eye and nodded in acknowledgment before storming out of the diner. 

He felt pretty awesome, thinking of the sight of the gaping John. He biked home as fast as he could, feeling a twinge of disappointment. He'd actually been looking forward to dating someone, as a way to at least get over Harvey, but apparently he was stuck with dating assholes.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Mike strode through the office the next day, a cup of coffee in one hand and the other rubbing his eyed blearily. The disaster date had ended late, and he'd had to finish up work, not to mention biking for an hour to get home from Manhattan. In short, he'd stayed up until 1:00 AM and had received all of five hours of sleep.  
He headed towards Harvey's office, almost tripping over his feet. 

"You look tired, Mike. Your hot date must've been great if he kept you up all night." Donna said, her voice way too loud and clear for this early in the morning.  
"I don't want to talk about it, Donna." He said, stopping at her desk and taking another long sip of coffee to distract himself from thinking about stupid John and the stupid goddamn date. "Is Harvey in?" 

"That bad, huh?" Donna asked, patting his arm sympathetically. He shook his head, laughing sardonically. 

"Let's just say that Harold better stay out of my way for the next couple days... Maybe the next couple weeks. “ Donna winced and gestured to the door. 

"His Highness is waiting." She said with a wink. Mike nodded his thanks and went inside, finding Harvey combing through his records as expected. Too early to do real work, but too late to take a power nap. 

"If you're looking for the Spinners record, it may have accidentally fell in the trash the other day." He teased, setting his briefcase on the floor and sitting on the couch. He did not have the energy to stand next to Harvey right now, but just seeing him made him feel a little better. 

"Don't joke about the Spinners. You know I'll fire your ass if anything happened to that record." Harvey warned, turning to face him with a grin on his face. Mike's mind flashed back to John and he thought that the cocky grin on Harvey's face was so much better than that on John's face. 

"No way. You care too much about me." He said, shaking his head dramatically. Harvey sat down in front of him, and raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'really that again?' . "Anyways, no matter your horrible music choices," he smiled smugly at Harvey's indignant squawk, "I'm your kick-ass associate, and I just kicked Marshall Corporation's ass." He handed the file to Harvey, who took it with the customary pursed lips and you've-got-to-be-shitting-me expression coupled with a side of how-the-hell-did-you-do-this as he leafed through the file ending in a strange look which Mike liked to think meant how-did-I-ever-get-so-lucky-to-have-you (and I-love-you-Mike, although neither he nor Harvey would ever admit to that). Mike watched him with an eager expression. Finally, Harvey looked up at him with the strange look on his face, standing up and walking to stand in front of Mike. 

"This is... excellent kid." He said, ruffling Mike's hair. They stared at each other for a moment, Mike getting lost in Harvey's deep brown eyes and the way he smiled. Not a smile, not a shit-eating grin, not that asshole smug lip curl, a real, genuine smile. "I knew I kept you around for a reason besides to try and fail miserably at quoting movies." 

Normally, Mike would engage in the challenge he saw, a quote-off, but right now, he was too goddamned sleepy to do anything but fantasize about his bed. Maybe he would catch a few moments of shut-eye while proofing briefs for Louis. After all, he worked at the pace of three associates and then some, so he could easily catch up. "You know you-” He yawned loudly, stretching his arms like a cat. "Sorry. You know you love me." 

Harvey stared at him for a long while after that, evaluating him. Mike knew that look; Harvey got that look when he was trying to decide which car to drive at the car club or what the best way would be to crush the opposing counsel. 

"You look like shit, puppy." He finally said, hauling Mike to his feet. He received an eye roll in response. "Did your date keep you up all night?" He asked, raising his eyebrow. Harvey sounds strange, his voice tight with tension. Mike guessed that he didn't like his associate not having sleep; he needs that big brain of Mike's after all. At least he didn't make Mike abide to the stupid "no sex" rule of Louis's, he thought with a shudder. 

"Please!" He scoffed, not protesting when Harvey told him to slide his suit jacket off his shoulders. "John was an asshole." Harvey gave him a cool glass of water, which he gulped down greedily. 

"What did he do?" Harvey asked, and Mike recognized the tightness of his jaw then. He got that when Stephen Huntley tricked and used Donna, or when Daniel Hardman deposed Jessica, or when Louis Litt almost went to jail. Harvey's jaw got that tight when someone he cared about got hurt and it meant that the big dog was coming out and he was thirsty for blood. 

He didn't do anything per se," Mike began, touching Harvey's wrist softly in a placating gesture, "he was just a regular dickhead." Harvey gave him deadpan look. "He showed up late and he just said some stupid things." 

"Mike, what did he say?" Harvey asked, his voice low and deadly. 

"It doesn't matter, okay? Why do you care so much?" Mike said, immediately regretting his words. It was one thing to joke about Harvey caring about him, it was another to ask him why. Harvey Specter had made it crystal clear; caring was a weakness. 

"Answer the question, Mike." Hell no. 

"I'm your associate and this is not a deposition." Mike said, crossing his arms and looking away from Harvey. He was acting just like John, Mike thought for a minute before completely banishing the thought from his head. Harvey was most definitely not John. He may be an asshole, but he was a gentleman, and he knew how to treat his dates right. 

"Please, Mike." Mike looked at him, giving Harvey his own critical look. He seemed sincere. 

"He said that 'he liked his men feisty' and he ordered a milkshake with two straws and when we were done he said 'if you get on your knees and open your mouth real wide, I'll give you the best damn milkshake you'll ever taste'." Mike disclosed, attempting to infuse humor in the situation by imitating John's voice. Judging by Harvey's openly pissed off expression, it didn't work. 

"Harvey, it's over alright. I was just upset because I got home late since I had to bike from Manhattan to Brooklyn." Mike tried to explain, but Harvey cut him off. 

"The asshole didn't even pay for your cab, or at the least offer you a ride home?!" Harvey exclaimed, standing up and heading out the door. Mike stood up too, trailing after him. 

"Harvey, where are you going?" He asked, grabbing the ends of Harvey's suit jacket in a desperate attempt to stop him. But Harvey simply jerked his jacket out of Mike's grasp and stopped, turning to face him. 

"Harold set you up on the date, right? I'm gonna rip him a new one, maybe even fire him." He said, and Mike could tell by his deathly calm voice and blank expression that he was serious. 

"Harvey, John didn't give me a ride home or pay for a cab because I yelled at him and stormed out of the room before we even got to that point." Harvey raised his eyebrow and Mike nodded slowly. 

"That doesn't excuse what Harold did." He finally said, shaking his head. He didn't turn around though, so Mike took that as a sign of Harvey believing him, of some of his anger ebbing away. 

"I already took care of Harold, don't worry." Mike lied, flushing. "I'm not a damsel in distress, Harvey. I don't need you to save me." He said, the flush on his cheeks darkening not from guilt but from anger and embarrassment. 

Harvey stepped closer to him, so close that Mike held his breath because he knew that if he exhaled, their chests would touch. Mike could see his hand twitch and move up slowly as if to stroke his cheek before dropping down just as slowly. Harvey let out a resigned sigh. 

"But I want to save you, Mike." He said quietly, his voice steady, but Mike could hear the insecurity in his tone, the desperate need to care for someone else that he had denied himself for so long because someone (most likely more than one someone) had taught him that caring was a goddamned weakness.  
He and Harvey stared after each other for a long time before Harvey stepped back, heading back towards his office and Mike followed him too, feeling the words on his tongue bursting to come out. 

_You've already saved me Harvey. More than you can ever imagine._

"So, what exactly did you say when you yelled at that asshole?" Harvey asked as they walked back to his office. Mike could tell by the grin on his face that all was forgiven and forgotten. 

"Do you want me to quote myself?" Mike asked, playfully bumping Harvey with his shoulder, smiling when he received a retaliating bump in response that left his shoulder bruising in the best way possible. 

By the time he finished recounting the tale of "Mike Ross's Epically Awesome Beyoncé Moment" as he liked to call it, Harvey was cracking up with laughter, partly from what he said, but also from the Beyoncé in the title. 

"Beyoncé? Really?" Harvey asked as he sat Mike down on the couch and went to his desk. Mike's stomach grumbled, but he ignored it, favoring Harvey with his own shit-eating grin. 

"If you have a problem with Beyoncé, I'm sure I can call Jay-Z right now and you can have a nice long chat with him." He said, smirking. 

"You see, that's funny because I'm the one who has Jay-Z's phone number." Harvey said, rummaging through his desk drawers. Another wave of hunger hit Mike and he was glad that Harvey was there to distract him from the gnawing on his stomach. Breakfast had to be skipped and the only thing he had in his stomach was the milkshake and half the burger from his shitty date the previous night. 

"And I'm the one with the eidetic memory. One look at your phone and I'll know both Jay-Z and Michael Jordan’s numbers." He retorted, slumping down on the couch. Where the hell was his coffee? 

Mike, you're going to have to be much more creative if you want my number." Harvey replied, before grabbing something from his drawer and completely ignoring Mike's sputtered out, incoherent response of him being a pompous ass. "Heads up." He warned before Mike felt something hit his head and land in his lap. 

"Good aim." Mike said as he looked at the chocolate bar in his hands. Harvey ignored him and walked over to the couch. 

"Eat that, and get some sleep. I'm ordering Thai food. I'll wake you when it arrives." He said, already shoving Mike down on the couch and laying his extra blanket and Harvey's own suit jacket on top of it when Mike settled in. 

"But you hate Thai food." He mumbled as he felt the corners of sleep pricking his eyes. Sleep sounded really really good right now. 

"I'll eat it for you." Harvey replied. The last thing that Mike registered in his consciousness was a cool hand stroking his cheek and smooth lips on his forehead before a very Harvey-like voice said, "I'll do anything for you, puppy." 

He was never more grateful that Harvey was his best friend (although he wanted much more than that). 

_"And that is what happened." Donna finished her recounting of the morning's events to three eager matchmakers in the break room that afternoon. "I have to say, Harold. Very impressive." Harold flushed in response and muttered something unintelligible._

_"You should've taken pictures or recorded their conversation, Donna!" Louis demanded. "What sort of matchmaker are you?!" Rachel winced internally. Louis with frazzled emotions plus Donna plus yelling never ended well._

_"The kind of matchmaker that doesn't want to get sued for harassment." She retorted, her voice deadly calm. Not good, not good, not good. Rachel opened her mouth to say something but Louis beat her to the punch._

_"That's your shitty excuse! Please, Donna. I'm not a goddamn idiot."_

_"Are you sure? Because this conversation indicates otherwise."_

_"This is great!" Rachel exclaimed, nipping the ensuing explosion in the bud. “Harvey already admitted that he cares a lot about Mike." Rachel knew what Harvey's opinions on caring were, and for him to admit that Mike meant something to him was a step in the right direction, a step for him to stop bring so goddamned emotionally constipated._

_"Hold your horses, sister." Louis said, standing and pacing the room. "Mike already knew that, and we are far, far away from any sort of love confession."_

_"Lucky for us, we still have three more dates to get Harvey to pull his head out of his ass." Donna declared._

_"So, who's next?" Rachel asked innocently, smirking when three pairs of eyes met hers._

**WORD COUNT: 3,964 words**


	3. Rachel and The Pompous Prick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, Mike, are you free tonight?" She could tell by Mike's eager nodding that he was expecting to go on a date with her. She was a little disappointed that he was so eager to go on a date with her,as it was clear that meant that he was trying to get over Harvey. That Would Not Do At All.
> 
> "Are you interested in going on a date?" She asked carefully, activating the Dictaphone Louis had graciously allowed her to borrow. She was glad he'd shown her how to use it because the first time she'd played around with it, she'd heard some things that could never be unheard. Poor Norma.
> 
> "Yes, of course!" Mike agreed, nodding his head enthusiastically. The puppy analogy never fit him more than it did at that moment.
> 
> "Perfect! You'll meet Wes in front of the theater at 8 o' clock sharp." She replied, trying to stop from grinning at his groan. The little associate had much to learn, but lucky for him, he had a really great mentor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'd like to thank you all for reading the first two chapters, leaving comments, and leaving kudos/bookmarking! It means a lot to me that you appreciate and like my work!
> 
> That being said, here id the next chapter. It was a monster to write and format, so please excuse any glaring typos. I tried my best. 11 pages on word takes a looooong time to edit. I'm a little worried now since it seems that my chapters are getting steadily longer ;)
> 
> I won't stall any longer. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_Rachel was at her wits' ends. She'd thought that Marvey (as she liked to call them in her head nowadays) was making really good progress after that disaster date that Mike insisted never be mentioned. The days following that, Harvey showed more affection to Mike, ruffling his hair and squeezing his shoulder, millions of casual touches that ended up being so... anticlimactic. Anticlimactic because after a few days Harvey abruptly shut himself off and reverted to being incredibly cold and stoic to everyone, especially Mike._

_"And then what happened?" Rachel asked Donna about her date the previous night, shaking her head to distract herself from the thoughts of the two oblivious men. She and the others had agreed to give Mike some time to recover. That was a week ago, and Rachel thought that Mike had forgotten about the date to be honest, but Donna was the team leader and according to her observations, neither of the pair was ready for a date just yet. So, Rachel didn't push it because she trusted that Donna knew what she was doing. She was Donna after all, and Donna knew you better than you knew yourself._

_"Well, he asked me what I did for a living," Donna started, smirking, "and when I told him I was a secretary he got the most adorably confused expression on his face. He told me he couldn't believe that a gorgeous woman like me was stuck working at a desk all day for some old geezer."_

_Rachel laughed. "Did you tell Harvey that your date called him an old geezer?" She asked once she'd recovered from the hilarity. Donna nodded, smiling._

_"He demanded that I not go on a second date with Alex." Rachel shook her head, although she felt just the slightest bit jealous. Alex was a really lucky guy._

_"So of course you're going to go on another date." Rachel finished, and Donna's decidedly evil smirk widened. "Harvey never learns, does he?"_

_The door to the break room swung open then, cutting off Donna's response. Mike walked in holding two mugs, one that said "Litt Up", a present from Louis to Mike, and another that had Harvard emblazoned on it, clearly Harvey's mug. Rachel exchanged a knowing glance with Donna as they noticed how Mike carefully prepared Harvey's coffee first and then his, measuring the sugar, cream, and vanilla precisely._

_He turned to exit the break room, smiling at the pair and nodding his hello. "Hi Rachel. Hi Donna."_

_"Mike." They acknowledged in unison, their hawk-eyed gazes trained on him, or more specifically, the Harvard cup in his hand. He gave them a perplexed look before exiting the room, adopting a quick pace on the way to Harvey's office._

_"It's time." Donna declared, signaling Rachel to go after him._

_"Finally!" She exclaimed with a grin, standing up and rushing to catch up to Mike._

_She quickened her pace to catch up to Mike, cursing his long legs. "Mike! Slow down!" She exclaimed, almost tripping. Heels were a bitch to run/fast-walk in._

_Mike stopped when he heard her voice, turning to give her a surprised look. "Hey Rachel. Sorry, I didn't realize you were following me?" He apologized._

_Rachel rolled her eyes; she knew why he hadn't noticed her. He'd been too focused on the damn coffee cups. She seriously doubted that Mike could mess up carrying cups of coffee._

_"So, Mike, are you free tonight?" She could tell by Mike's eager nodding that he was expecting to go on a date with her. She was a little disappointed that he was so eager to go on a date with her,as it was clear that meant that he was trying to get over Harvey._ That Would Not Do At All _._

_"Are you interested in going on a date?" She asked carefully, activating the Dictaphone Louis had graciously allowed her to borrow. She was glad he'd shown her how to use it because the first time she'd played around with it, she'd heard some things that could never be unheard. Poor Norma._

_"Yes, of course!" Mike agreed, nodding his head enthusiastically. The puppy analogy never fit him more than it did at that moment._

_"Perfect! You'll meet Wes in front of the theater at 8 o' clock sharp." She replied, trying to stop from grinning at his groan. The little associate had much to learn, but lucky for him, he had a really great mentor._

_Mike resumed his path to Harvey's office, looking much more sullen now. Rachel winked at Donna as she turned to head back to her desk._

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harvey was sitting at his desk and looked up when he walked in. His hair was gelled back, every single strand in the proper place and any wayward hairs sure to be beaten into submission. Mike considered his own crazy hair and shook his head slightly to make them fall into place, but that only made it worse.

"Why are you shaking your head?" Harvey asked, perplexed. Mike flushed and coughed awkwardly.

"I, uh, well- you see, I was trying to, um." One of Harvey's eyebrows approached his hairline throughout Mike's attempt at a response. "I was trying to fix my hair." He finally said. Harvey shook his head.

"Well you made it worse." He finally seemed to notice the cups in Mike's hands. "Good, you brought coffee." He said, beckoning Mike closer.

Mike was still a little peeved about his hair comment, but he brushed it off and approached Harvey's desk. He set the coffee down on Harvey's desk, but didn't lean on it like usual or sit on its edge. He'd been trying to maintain his distance since the Disaster-Date-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Mentioned.

"Who says the coffee was for you?" He asked as Harvey sipped it. He was transfixed by the sight of Harvey's Adam's apple, bobbing up and down as he swallowed. He averted his gaze when Harvey met his eyes.

"Of course it's for me. Who else likes their coffee with sugar, cream, and vanilla?" Harvey asked, giving him that condescending expression that made Mike feel like a child.

"Lots of people!" Mike protested hotly. Harvey set his coffee cup down and looked him squarely in the eye.

"Really? Name three in this firm." Harvey asked.

"Norma?" He stated, making it seem like a question and not a statement. Harvey shook his head.

"She likes it black and bitter. And would you really be getting Norma coffee?" Mike shrugged.

"Norma's quite nice actually." Harvey gave him an unamused look. "Okay. Rachel." Harvey shrugged.

The intercom buzzed to life.

"Sorry Mike, Rachel doesn't like sugar in her coffee." Mike stuck his tongue out at Donna who smirked at him and winked at Harvey.

"I don't know okay!" Mike finally exclaimed and pouted slightly, causing Harvey to laugh loudly.

"You're cute puppy." He said after his laughter had subsided. Mike blushed and turned away from Harvey. "Anyways, you're coming with me tonight to meet a client for dinner."

Mike began to nod before he realized that he had a date that night. Maybe he could get out of it. "Sure! I had a date tonight, but I could cancel." Harvey seemed surprised.

"Why do you look so happy to cancel on your date?" He asked.

"Because it's a blind date that Rachel set me up on." He said, opening his phone to text Rachel his apologies.

_Sorry, Rach. I'm going to have to cancel._

NO. YOU ARE UNDER A VERBAL CONTRACT. She replied back minutes later.

"She says I'm under a verbal contract." Mike said, showing his phone to Harvey bemusedly.

"Does she have proof?" He asked.

_Proof?_

DICTAPHONE RECORDING. She texted back. Her gratuitous use of all capital letters was making his head hurt.

"She says she has a Dictaphone recording." Mike said, still staring at his phone in disbelief. Harvey looked skeptical.

"Listen Mike," Mike immediately looked up, giving Harvey all of his attention. "if you already have plans, that's fine. Go on your date tonight, it could be fun." Harvey pressed.

Mike nodded his agreement, although he was hurt that Harvey wasn't forcing him to come to the dinner. It was strange yes, but he liked to think that when Harvey forced him to cancel his plans, it was Harvey wanting to spend time with Mike. And now, he was trying to push Mike away.

He would go on the date with Wes. It was time to move on from Harvey, as they were clearly never meant to be.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike paid the cab driver the money he owed, glancing at his watch nervously. The numbers 8:14 glared at him from the sleek face, reminding him of his tardiness. He picked up his pace as he neared the theater, already feeling horrible. He understood how it felt to be on the receiving end of a late date.

There was a guy standing in front of the theater. For a second, he thought Harvey was there, but pushed the excitement that bubbled up at the thought down firmly. No.

Do. Not. Think. About. Harvey. The man had dark, almost dirty blonde hair (Harvey used to be a dirty blonde... Donna had shown him pictures), and from what he could see, a firm jaw line and sharp nose. His cheekbones were high, almost aristocratic. He was dressed in a fine black suit (that looked like the same one Harvey wore today) and was currently on the phone, dress shoes slapping the concrete as he paced back and forth. His face was turned away from Mike, so he couldn't see his eyes, but judging by the set of his shoulders, he was angry.

"Listen here Richard, and listen close-" he spoke into the phone in a low, tense voice as Mike approached him. "I don't care what your fucking name is. You better have that report on my desk in the morning before I come in or the only name you'll go by is _unemployed_." The man's voice rose near the end if the sentence before he jabbed the 'end call' button on his phone. Mike winced in sympathy for Richard-or-whatever-his-name-is. He'd been in the receiving end of Harvey's yelling more than enough to know that it sucked.

"Excuse me?" he said, smiling when the guy turned around. The irate expression on his face melted off when he saw Mike. "Hi, I'm Mike. Sorry I'm late, there was a lot of traffic on the way here."

"No worries. I'm Wesley Harrington the Third." He proclaimed, shaking Mike's outstretched hand. "Let's go inside, I'm dying to watch Romeo and Juliet." He said, gesturing to the theater with a sweeping arm and blinding smile.

What century did this guy come from? Mike thought idly as he followed Wesley inside. First, announcing his name like he was some sort of king, and now he wanted to watch Romeo and Juliet when there were plenty of slightly more modern and much better movies playing? He seemed like a first class snob, but Mike wasn't one to judge a book by its cover. Mike furrowed his brow when he noticed the man squirt some hand sanitizer on his hands (maybe he's a germaphobe?) after shaking Mike's hand. He also hadn't missed the flash of disdain that crossed Wesley's expression when he saw his casual outfit to a Star Trek tee and jeans. 

They entered the theater and Wesley paid for their tickets, despite Mike's protests. He led Mike into the theater and they sat down.

"It's been a while since I've watched the movie in original English." Wesley said conversationally, settling into his seat.

"I've actually never seen the movie." Wesley looked affronted.

"Never? Poor boy, you've been missing out on a good show." Mike scrunched his face up in disbelief. Was this guy for real? Poor boy? A good show? Just say it's a great flick, dude. Even Harvey isn't so pompous, and that says a lot.

"I'm not a fan of Shakespeare." He said, and Wesley seemed even more offended.

"I've memorized all of his plays, word for word. I would expect you to understand the allure of Shakespeare, though." Wesley said dismissively. Mike bristled at the last offhanded comment, which seemed like a subtle dig at his education.

"No offense, but Rachel told me about your education." He said, and Mike paled slightly. She couldn't have told this guy his secret, right? "You went to community college before transferring to Harvard. I wouldn't expect you to have read Shakespeare." Mike bristled at this once again; he happened to think that his community college education was very good, and he had read Shakespeare, in high school. But this guy probably went to a prep school full of other rich, snotty kids.

If he was going to sit here and listen to this guy spout facts about Shakespeare and himself, then Mike would need a popcorn and a nice big cup of coke. Yup. Caffeine would be really good right now.

"I'll be right back," he said politely, forcing his voice to remain saccharine sweet. He stood and shuffled out of the theater, heading for the concessions stand with a deep relieved breath. God. The man's cologne was slowly suffocating him.

As he stood idly in line, he opened his phone, scrolling through his contacts. There weren't many; an associate at Pearson Hardman didn't really have time to be in touch with his friends and Mike didn't have many. Rachel wouldn't talk to him; she'd just tell him to go back to his date. No one else was really friendly enough with him for him to randomly text them. His thumb lingered on Harvey's name.

 

_Hey. How's the dinner?_ He texted, keeping his spelling and grammar perfect because Harvey was a total Nazi about these things.

**It's impolite to text someone during a date.** Harvey replied a few seconds later, and Mike rolled his eyes. Of course Harvey would chastise him.

_I'm getting popcorn. Besides, it's also impolite to text someone during dinner._ Mike retorted, smirking.

**Smartass.**

_Wow. That's a great comeback._

**I don't have to be subjected to this cheekiness,** he replied. Mike bit his lip to keep from bursting out in laughter. He smiled at the attendant and ordered a large popcorn and a large drink. Harvey would cringe at the meal.

_Lol._ He texted back, then grinning to himself continued.

_That means laugh out loud by the way, old man._

**Harvey Specter is not available. Please redirect your messages to Donna Paulsen, (811) 730-6554 and he'll get back to you as soon as possible.**

 

Mike didn't bother to restrain his laughter this time. The attendant gave him a strange look. He grabbed his popcorn with a quick thank you and walked back to the theater as slowly as possible.

"There you are! You missed the best parts." Wesley exclaimed when he sat down. Romeo was on the balcony, talking to Juliet now. Were there any good parts?

"Do you want some popcorn?" He asked, holding the tub out for Wesley. The man shook his head and scrunched his nose up in distaste.

"Please. How can you eat such disgusting food? But I don't blame you, Michael. Rachel told me about how you'd never tasted caviar before." Wesley said. Mike shook his head. Caviar had been a new experience, to say the least. "Anyhow, fine food doesn't have any of that...grease." Mike popped another handful of popcorn into his mouth, chewing loudly to block out the noise of the babbling man.

And then everything happened in slow motion. He reached for his cup, keeping his eyes trained on the screen. A brush of the fingers and suddenly the cup of tipping over and the coke was leaking out. He grabbed at it quickly, righting it as soon as possible. Disaster averted!

"Oh my god!" A very unmanly shriek followed the little blunder. Uh oh, Mike thought, disaster not averted. He glanced at Wesley, who was pointing at a little dark spot on his thigh. Some of the coke must have spilled. It was only a small spot though, Mike examined, proud of his reflexes. "You.... idiot!"

Mike blinked once, then twice. This guy was throwing a hissy fit because of a freaking drop on his pants. "Do you know how expensive these pants are? They're worth a year of your salary, you freaking plebeian. Of course you wouldn't know what fine clothing is like! You're wearing a cotton t-shirt and denim jeans!" He ranted, standing up now. Wesley was speaking complete nonsense, but Mike still shrunk back because the only thing worse than a snob was an angry snob.

"Rachel told me you were just a bike messenger! That's all you're ever going to be. Please. Like you could be a lawyer; you have no class! You're nothing." Wesley finished, chest heaving as he panted for breath. Ouch. The last one stung a bit, but Mike stood up anyhow, brushing his pants off.

He looked into Wesley's eyes, his own narrowed and brimming with anger.

"Fuck you." He said, flipping him the bird before turning on his heel and striding away, popcorn in one hand, and cup in the other.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He walked outside. It was late; the movie had been quite long, and even though it wasn't finished yet, it was already 9:30 PM. He strode away from the theater, holding up a hand and whistling for a cab.

"Yes! Here!" He exclaimed, waving his hand as a yellow taxi pulled up to the curb. He headed towards it, grinning as he imagined himself taking a long, long drink when he got home. He watched as a young couple entered the cab, laughing and kissing. "What?! No! That- That's mine!" He groaned as the cab drove off. "Unbelievable."

He leaned against the lamppost as he waited. Yawning, he checked his phone, deciding to text Harvey.

_First World Problem: Trying to get a cab in Manhattan on a Friday night :(_

He stared at his phone for a little bit, waiting for a response. After a while, he sighed and put it back in his pocket. It felt heavy and his fingers twitched to check his phone again. He blushed; he felt like a goddamn teenage girl waiting for her crush to reply to her text or call her. He wasn't a girl though.

And he did not have a crush on Harvey. Absolutely. Not.

Then his phone rang. He immediately reached into his pocket, the phone slipping from his fingers and falling onto the sidewalk.

_Anyway you want it,_   
_That's the way you need it_

He cursed softly as he reached down and grabbed the phone, clearing his throat as he pressed 'Accept;'. Harvey was calling.

"Hello?" He asked, shoving his other hand in his pocket. Then he took his hand out of his pocket and scratched his nose. Then he put it back in his pocket. Finally he cursed and just left his hand out of his pocket, hanging there awkwardly.

"Hey Mike. What's up?" Harvey sounded tired and sleepy. Was he drunk?

"What's up?! You called me." He said, wrinkling his face in confusion. "Why did you call me?"

"Well, you said you're having trouble getting a cab right, so I thought I'd keep you company. Until you got one that is." He blushed.

"Okay. Thanks... I guess."

"No problem, puppy." Harvey's voice was warm. "So... did the date go well?"

"No." He said shortly, his mood souring at the mention of the date.

"So you're not going to his place?" Harvey asked, his voice taking on an odd tone.

"Hell no." He exclaimed, stepping away from the lamppost and pacing the streets. He needed to keep moving, get his endorphins running to distract himself from the wild beating of his heart.

"That bad huh?" Mike nodded solemnly. "Mike?" Stupid, Harvey can't see you nodding! He mentally face-palmed himself.

"Sorry, yeah. Let's not talk about that. How was your client dinner?" He asked, fiddling with his fingers.

"You will tell me later." Harvey ordered, and Mike nodded again before quickly affirming and face-palming himself. For real, this time. "The dinner was okay."

"Did you land the client?" He asked, walking a little further down the street. He approached a bus stop and took a seat at the bench. There was a woman sitting there. When he sat down, she looked up from her newspaper and gave him a suspicious look.

"Of course I did." Harvey said, sounding offended. "Any luck with a cab?"

"No. I'll just take the bus or something." He groaned. The woman next to him peered at him through her glasses.

"Where are you, Mike? I'll come pick you up." Mike blushed.

"Harvey, no. I can take the bus!" He protested.

"Mike. Where are you?" Harvey demanded, and Mike sighed.

"The bus stop near the Rosewood Theater." He could hear Harvey speaking to Donna.

"I'm at the firm. I'll be there in a half-hour." Harvey finally said.

"Sounds good. Bye." He said and Harvey returned the farewell before hanging up. Mike sighed and leaned back against the bench. He wrapped his jacket closer to him, huddling into the warmth it provided.

"Was that your boyfriend, young man?" The woman asked. Mike looked at her closely. She reminded him of his grandmother, wrinkles and blue eyes and soft, knowing smiles.

"No... no, not at all. He's just my boss." The woman raised her eyebrows and nodded, the knowing glint in her eye intensifying. "Seriously. We're just friends."

"Whatever you say, honey." Mike stared at her, bewildered. A few moments of silence passed by with Mike alternating between staring at the lady, his hands, and the road. The woman was reading her newspaper, but judging by her amused gaze, she knew about his emotional turmoil. "If I may ask... why did you think that he was my boyfriend?"

"Son, I know these things." She said simply, looking him square in the eye. Women, Mike thought, shaking his head. Everything was a goddamned riddle.

"Can you please just tell me?" He asked, turning the puppy dog eyes on her. She set her newspaper down, turning to face him.

"You'll figure it out, son." She said, patting his shoulder lightly. "And don't you turn those puppy eyes on me. I have three adorable grandchildren, all of whom have the biggest doe eyes you've ever seen."

"Really? Do you have pictures?" He asked eagerly, needing a distraction from his thoughts about Harvey... being his boyfriend. The woman rolled her eyes at him.

"Are you crazy? Of course I do!" She exclaimed reaching into the pocket of her cardigan and extracting her BlackBerry. Mike raised his brow; his Gram had the exact same cell phone. "Come here." She ordered, beckoning him closer with one elegantly crooked finger.

Mike amused himself by looking at pictures of her adorable grandchildren. Aiden, the youngest one, was his personal favorite. He had light blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that were always wide and innocent. Apparently he was quite the troublemaker.

"And then, then he gave me the biggest goddamn eyes and said 'What cookies?' in sweetest voice possible." Mike nodded at her eagerly, telling her to continue on. "So, I told him-"

"Mike!" Harvey's voice interrupted them. Mike looked away from the woman, Sarah. "Cozying up to old women, now?" He asked, his voice heavy with mirth.

"Who are you calling old, young man?" Sarah said, standing up to face Harvey. Harvey Specter, the best goddamn closer in New York, he who face no fear, stepped back, clearly intimidated by the sight of angry old man. Mike bit his cheek to stop his giggling.

Harvey looked quite nice. He was wearing his suit from work, and had paired it with a long black overcoat. His customary smirk was replaced by a look of mild terror. He quickly replaced that with his most charming smile, his eyes crinkling up with crow's feet. Mike's fingers twitched to caress Harvey's cheek.

"No one. I was talking about the woman who's purse he stole the other day." Sarah's lips twitched.

"Really, Mike?" She asked, glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"He's lying." He protested, backing away from Sarah. She came closer to him and pulled him into a big hug, wrapping her bony arms around her waist. He patted her back, exchanging an incredulous look with Harvey, who seemed surprised as well. An indescribable expression crossed his face as Mike pulled away from Sarah.

"You keep that man close, m'kay. He's a catch." She whispered into his ear before lowering her voice conspiratorially. "And hot too."

"Okay!" He yelled, backing away from her. "Goodbye Sarah. Tell Aiden he's an awesome little man for me please." He said as he walked away from her. A strange old woman, but she reminded him of his Gram.

He followed Harvey to the town car. Ever the chivalrous gentleman, Harvey opened the door for him, smiling as he gestured inside. "Your carriage awaits, m'lady." Harvey said, emphasizing the last two words. Mike glared at him but entered the car anyhow.

"You suck, Harvey." He said, sticking his tongue out as Harvey entered the car. Harvey slammed the door shut before grinning at him, the smile on his face distinctly wolf-like.

"That's not a very nice thing to say to your hero, Mike." Harvey said, settling into the seat. "Ray, head to Mike's place." Mike snorted as Ray nodded and began driving, the engine a faint, soothing thrum filling the comfortable silence between them.

He looked out the window, watching the buildings pass by. That meeting with Sarah had been unnerving. He remembered the entire experience of losing his grandmother. Getting a new apartment for her, then smiling as he and Rachel explored it. One minute Gram was there, and the next... she was gone.

He remembered how Harvey had come to him, once again attuned to Mike's feelings. He'd gotten high with him; that part he didn't quite remember. But he did remember Harvey's smile, and them joking about goddamn cottonmouth of all things. But he knew that Harvey felt his pain, and that Harvey wanted to make him feel better.

"So, Mike. Tell me about the horrible date." Mike turned to face his companion, smiling softly despite the date. Harvey watched him carefully. His eyes conveyed what his words didn't, understanding; complete and total understanding.

"It was... interesting." Harvey raised an eyebrow, gesturing Mike to expand on his answer. "He was a snob. More snobbish than you, and that's saying something." Harvey made a face at that and Mike let out a little laugh.

"He was wearing a goddamn suit to the movies." Mike stated.

"Even I wouldn't do that." Harvey replied.

"Actually, I think that he was wearing the same suit you are now." Harvey raised an eyebrow at that. Mike peered closely at his suit, pretending to examine it although he had recognized it as the same that Wesley was wearing as soon as he'd seen Wesley. How can two guys in the same suit, with such similar appearances, be so, so different?

"But I look better in it, don't I?" Harvey interrupted his introspective thoughts. Mike rolled his eyes inwardly; of course Harvey would ask a question like that. Harvey winked when Mike nodded, his mouth dry and his cheeks flaming. Harvey held his gaze, his own eyes turning serious, his lips remaining quirked in a little half-smile.

"So, uh," Harvey cleared his throat, "what happened next?"

"Well, I went to get some popcorn, 'cause a man can only take so much of talk about prep school." Harvey chuckled.

"Now I understand why you were texting me puppy." Mike grinned at him.

"That was fun, by the way. A great distraction. Anyways, after that, there was a... mishap." Mike said, his voice trailing off at the end of the sentence.

"What kind of mishap?" Harvey asked, flipping through some files distractedly.

"I spilled my drink on him. And he got pissed off." Harvey looked up from his files. "He said some things." Mike could tell he had Harvey's attention now.

"What did he say?" Harvey asked oh-so-innocently. He seemed to be looking through his files disinterestedly.

"Do I have to?" Mike asked petulantly. He knew Harvey would get angry; his boss was very protective of his associate and his big, super emotional brain.

"It's kind of funny, actually. He said that my outfit was stupid and that I would always be nothing and that I was a crap lawyer." He said with an unsteady smile, choking on his laughter when he saw the tightness in Harvey's jaw. They watched each other for a moment, sitting in complete silence.

"He's wrong." Harvey finally said and Mike made a noise of confusion, lost in his thoughts. "You are a brilliant lawyer," He swallowed roughly. " and you are the furthest thing from nothing.." Mike looked at him, eyes wide with surprise.

He'd never, ever, ever seen Harvey's face so... unguarded. He looked so much younger without his frown lines. Harvey seemed tense, though, like he was waiting for an exclamation of disgust, or possibly a more subtle rejection.

Oh Harvey.

"Thank you." He said, smiling softly as he touched Harvey's hand. It was warm and thick and comforting. The hand under his was the hand that held his through times of trouble, that guided him in the write direction; this hand was the hand that drove away his tormentors. This was the hand of his friend, his boss, his savior. His everything.

But Harvey could never know that. Because in the end, he and Harvey didn't belong together. Harvey deserved a nice, pretty girl. One he could come home to and kiss and talk about his day with; someone who would support him, instead of constantly needing his support.

But when Harvey squeezed his hand, Mike could at least pretend for a little while that Harvey could be his.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"Good night Harvey."_

_"Good night Ray." Ray nodded his farewell, driving away. Harvey needed to open his eyes and see; and if Ray was helping him get one step closer to happiness, he was glad to be driving home at oh-something-AM. Because all that mattered was that Harvey realized that he and Mike belonged together._

**WORD COUNT: 5,046**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about all of the emotional angst ;) Once again, thank you for all of your kind words and actions.


	4. Louis and the Horrible Hiker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're going to be meeting a new client tonight in my place." 
> 
>  
> 
> "Why can't you meet them?" Mike asked. He wanted to sleep early for once. Ever since his last date, Harvey had been giving him more work to do. He thought that tonight he'd be able to go home at a reasonable time, or at least before midnight. 
> 
>  
> 
> "That's none of your business." Louis claimed, his expression hardening. "You'll meet Mr. Dwight tonight at 10." Mike's eyes widened. Why did he want such a late meeting? He nodded anyhow, thinking back to how Louis had fired someone in front of him on his first day with a shudder. 
> 
>  
> 
> "Where?" He asked wearily, mentally preparing himself for another late night. 
> 
>  
> 
> "That's a surprise." Louis said, his grin turning shark-like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day! I have to confess, my plan for this chapter was way different from what I wrote. But, I like this much better. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_"Alright, ladies. Clearly your dates were unsatisfactory." Louis announced, sauntering towards Donna and Rachel. They turned, hands on their hips and eyebrows raised, challenging him to go on._  

 

 _"Really, Louis?" Donna asked, her voice far too sweet to be sincere. "I'm sorry you feel that way."_  

 

 _"You should be." He said, still smiling smugly. "Watch and learn, ladies. Watch and learn."_  

 

 _"Mike!" He bellowed as he made his way to his office. The associate in question jumped, ear buds falling out. "Stop listening to that teeny bop crap." He yelled again, beckoning the rookie into his office._  

 

 _Mike approached Louis slowly, like a prey gauging a predator. He stepped inside Louis's office but stayed near the door, almost clinging to the handle. Louis had that look on his face, the one that conveyed immense satisfaction from another person's pain._  

 

 _"How can I help you, Louis?" He finally asked after a moment's time of them staring at each other. Louis sat at his desk and folded his hands. He smiled._  

 

 _"No Mike, the question isn't how you_   _can help_ me,  _it's how you can help_ yourself _. So Mike, tell me. How can you help yourself?"_   _Mike stared at him, bewildered. What the fuck did he want?_  

 

 _"I don't know Louis." He said tiredly, glancing at the clock. It was almost time for lunch. Mmm. Lunch sounded really good right now._  

 

 _"I'll tell you how." The smile on Louis's face intensified. "You're going to be meeting a new client tonight in my place."_  

 

 _"Why can't you meet them?" Mike asked. He wanted to sleep early for once. Ever since his last date, Harvey had been giving him more work to do. He thought that tonight he'd be able to go home at a reasonable time, or at least before midnight._  

 

 _"That's none of your business." Louis claimed, his expression hardening. "You'll meet Mr. Dwight tonight at 10." Mike's eyes widened. Why did he want such a late meeting? He nodded anyhow, thinking back to how Louis had fired someone in front of him on his first day with a shudder._  

 

 _"Where?" He asked wearily, mentally preparing himself for another late night._  

 

 _"That's a surprise." Louis said, his grin turning shark-like._  

 

* * *

 

Mike rode up to the location of the meeting, stopping his bike and staring at the sign in front of him in disbelief.  

 

 _WELCOME TO_ _RENALDI_ _TRAILS!_  

 

And underneath it, written in fine print:  _Beware the bears._  

 

So the client was a nature enthusiast? Now he understood why Louis wouldn't want to come. He grinned mentally at the image of the older man in hiking gear. He'd probably wear those cargo shorts with the obscene amount of pockets and he'd have a large, too heavy backpack and a distinctly feminine hat, although he'd claim it was androgynous.  

 

He looked down at his own outfit. The suit jacket would have to go, but he could make do with walking in dress shoes and his fancy dress shirt and pants. Still, he wished that Louis had told him about the location of the trip. That sadistic asshole. 

 

"Hello? Mr. Dwight?" He called out as he entered the little lodge a few ways down the road. It was completely deserted, he observed. The room was bathed in warm light from the fireplace. There was a visitor's desk, but no attendant at the rustic establishment. Mike pitied the poor soul who'd been stuck with the next late night shift, he thought as he looked at the sign that said "Sorry, we're on break!".  

 

There was a bar at the corner of the room. It seemed fairly empty, with one or two people sitting at the counter. He approached a man was drinking gin. 

 

"Mr. Dwight?" The man turned and smiled at him. He was fairly young, which made sense since the older clients wouldn't want to go hiking. He had tanned skin and black hair, with very very bright green eyes. All in all, Mike thought he was average looking. He preferred brown hair, brown eyes, and two little mole above the left eyebrow. "Hi, I'm Mike Ross. I'm here on the behalf of Louis Litt." 

 

"Ah yes!" The man stood and faced him. He grinned before pulling Mike into a big hug. Um. Okay. Mike patted the other man's back awkwardly. "You can call me Spencer. Let's hike and talk okay?" 

 

Mike nodded. Although this client was certainly something else, rule number one of landing a client was to let them take charge with the activities.  

 

"Of course. Do you enjoy hiking?" He asked politely. Rule number two: Take charge of the conversation; make sure to cozy up to them, make them feel important. Spencer nodded enthusiastically, leading Mike out of the lodge and into the fresh air.  

 

"Always have." Spencer said. Mike could hear an owl hooting and the distant howl of a wolf. "Nature is man's playground." He said, turning to Mike and stroking his chin philosophically. Mike disagreed. He hated hiking and nature; ever since his camping trip with his dad when a bear had almost attacked them, he'd been terrified of the woods. 

 

He followed Spencer into the woods, glancing back fearfully. Luckily for him, it was a full moon. The trees and bushes were illuminated. Nevertheless, he gladly took the flashlight that Spencer offered him. 

 

"So, Mr.Dw- Spencer," He corrected when the other man looked at him sharply, "why do you need legal advice?" 

 

"Legal advice?" The other man echoed, leading them further into the throes of the woods. Mike inhaled and exhaled deeply, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He startled suddenly when he heard a twig break, turning around but seeing nothing but the empty forest around him. "Louis said that you were interested in me." 

 

Mike stopped. He let out a stream of curses that would make sailors blush and Trevor proud. 

 

"Louis told you this was a date?" He asked, stumbling a bit as he tried to catch up to the taller man. Spencer seemed distracted. He stopped suddenly, causing Mike to almost crash into his back. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. 

 

"Shh." Spencer whispered, putting a hand over Mike's mouth, muffling his yelp of protest. "Listen closely city boy." Mike glared at the other man, whose eyes were darting around trying to pinpoint the location of a nonexistent sound. There was a distant roar and Mike's eyes widened in fear. Bear. Wolf. Lion? All three?! 

 

"What is that?" He whisper-yelled when Spencer finally removed his hand from his mouth. The other man grinned, a sadistic gleam appearing in his eye. Mike took a discrete step back, inching away from the lunatic  _that Louis set him up on a freaking date with._  

 

He was so going to kill Louis the next him he saw him, consequences be damned.  

 

“That, pretty boy,” Mike made a face at the nickname, causing Spencer to chuckle, “that’s a bear. And it’s about three feet away from us.” Mike’s eyes widened and he stared at Spencer with a panicked look. Spencer looked deadly serious, despite the lingering mirth in his expression.”

 

“What?!” He shrieked, eyes darting around the forest. No bear. No bear. Wait. What was that shadowy figure hiding behind the tree? It was huge and bulky, fitting the silhouette of a bear. Oh crap. “Spencer?” He said fearfully. The other man was gone. Mike had only turned his back for a minute. “Spencer!” he called out. “This isn’t funny!” He yelled, his voice wobbling.

 

A twig cracked behind him and he froze, terror seeping from every pore of his body. Very slowly, he turned around, only to come face to face with… a bear. His breath caught. He backed away very slowly, maintaining eye contact He ran away from it as soon as he saw the hairy snout and deep brown eyes. Mike didn’t dare look back, knowing that if he saw the bear following him, he’d freak out more. Stay calm Mike, stay calm.

 

His foot hit a branch and suddenly he was tumbling and falling hard. The trip down the hill passed by in a blur. All he remembered seeing was flashes of green and brown and gray rocks and feeling pain explode in his foot and behind his eyes. He finally tumbled to a stop at the end of a short, but steep slope.

 

He laid on the ground, trying to catch his breath. Once his heart rate slowed slightly, he slowly sat up, gritting his teeth. He ran his fingers through his hair, brushing away any leaves or dirt. When he reached the back of his skull, he felt something warm and wet. He stared at his blood covered fingers in shock. He leaned against a nearby rock, trying to pull himself to his feet. His ankle seemed to scream in protest, but he refused to look down at it, knowing that it was most likely a gruesome sight.

 

“Mike!” A voice yelled out; Mike could hear the fear behind it. “Mike!” It repeated, and Mike recognized it as Spencer’s voice. Although he was pissed off that Spencer had left him behind, he needed help.

 

“Down here!” He responded, immediately regretting raising his voice when a fresh wave of pain slaughtered his head. “I think I twisted my ankle!”

 

“Don’t worry! I’m coming to get you. I’m going to get some help from the lodge!” Spencer called out and Mike heard footsteps retreating. It was beginning to hurt to stay standing, so he carefully lowered himself back down to the ground, leaning his head back against the rock and closing his eyes.

 

He decided to try to help his ankle a bit. He rolled up his pants, grimacing when he saw the swollen skin. It was red and puffy. Mike felt sick as he poked it gently, letting out a hiss of pain. Forget the ankle, he concluded, and took off his shoes and socks.

 

He ripped one of his socks apart with a little bit of effort and used it to pad at his head, wiping away the blood. Where was Spencer? They’d only gone about fifteen minutes out, and it must’ve been half an hour already right? Well, maybe not. It was hard to keep track of time when you had a mild concussion. He groaned in pain when he tried to move his ankle.

 

“Mike!”

 

“I’m here!” He called out, grateful to hear Spencer’s voice. “Help me!” He said.

 

Someone came down the hill slowly, followed by another two carrying a stretcher. Mike recognized them as paramedics from the local hospital; that must’ve been why it took so long for Spencer to come back. One of the medics helped him onto the gurney that the other two held. He lay down, taking deep breaths to cope with the pain.

 

“So, this was officially the worst date ever.” Mike joked when he saw Spencer’s worried face.

 

“Yeah, no kidding.” Spencer replied, ruffling his hair. He walked with him back to the lodge where an ambulance awaited. “Listen, I’m really sorry I left you. I thought I heard the bear. It wasn’t three feet away from you, I promise. I just thought you looked really adorable when you were scared.”

 

Mike smiled at him, even though it was creepy. So this guy _got off_ on his _fear_? He was probably having a hella good time right now, since Mike was scared shitless.

 

“Okay. I’m going to pretend that’s not weird, since you did save me.” Mike replied, closing his eyes. The pain in his ankle seemed to intensify with every minute that passed.

 

“About that. I kinda freaked out when I saw you at the bottom of the hill so I… looked through your phone.” He confessed. Mike hummed distractedly, not really listening to what he was saying. “And I called this guy Harvey? He seemed to be the most frequent caller, so I figured you were close.”

 

At this, Mike’s eyes popped open. “You called Harvey?!” He exclaimed.

 

“Yeah. He told me what to do.” Spencer said, looking worried. “You’re friends, right?”

 

“Y-yeah. He’s… he’s my boss.” Mike said, closing his eyes once again.

 

“Well, he’s probably here by now.” Oh crap. Harvey would kill Spencer if he saw him.

 

“You told him to come?!” Mike exclaimed once again, sitting up now. Spencer pushed him back down with a gentle hand to his chest.

 

“Don’t try to sit up, Mike.” He admonished. “Actually, he demanded to come.” They’d exited the forest now, and Mike was led into an ambulance. “Listen, before you leave, I’d really like to go on a date with you for real this time. Not because Louis paid me.”

 

Louis paid him?! Mike groaned and nodded. “Sure, I guess.” He said, not really meaning it. Like hell. He never wanted to see Spencer again.

 

“What do you mean I can’t go with him?” An angry voice exclaimed, and Mike opened one of his eyes, lifting his head to see a very pissed off Harvey arguing with one of the medics.

 

“Sir, you need to get permission from the patient.” The medic explained, her voice soft and consoling.

 

“I’m his boss and best friend.” Harvey said, his voice low now. “I’m going with him to the fucking hospital.” The medic protested, but Harvey climbed into the ambulance, taking a seat next to Mike’s stretcher. His angry expression melted away into one of concern when he realized that Mike was awake.

 

“Hi Harvey.” He said weakly, grinning at his boss. Harvey looked really tired. His hair was disheveled (a once in a blue moon event) and he had deep frown lines etched into his face.

 

“Hey puppy. Why are you so clumsy?” He teased, causing Mike to shrug and laugh. He glanced at Mike’s ankle, his expression turning murderous. “I’m going to kill that prick. What were you doing with him at midnight out in the forest?”

 

“It’s kind of a funny story.” Mike said, chuckling. Harvey didn’t seem amused. The ambulance started and they headed toward the hospital. “Louis told me he was a client.”

 

“Louis.” Harvey’s expression darkened further. “I’m going to murder him. It’s his fault you broke your ankle. Goddamn Louis.” Mike laughed drowsily, feeling his eyes begin to droop.

 

“Harvey? Before you kill anyone, can you bring me ice cream when I wake up?” He said, drifting away into a drug-induced stupor.

 

* * *

 

When he woke up, he saw Harvey sitting next to him, a bowl of ice cream in his hands and a tired smile on his face.

 

“You’re finally awake.” Harvey said, helping him sit up. Mike suppressed a shiver at feeling Harvey’s hands on his chest and back. “Here. I got you your favorite: coffee flavored.”

 

Mike grinned at him, taking the cup and spoon out of Harvey’s hands. He dug into the delicious dessert, moaning at the taste. Harvey watched him with dark eyes.

 

“Thanks Harvey.” He said, pausing in his devouring of the treat. “For getting me ice cream.” _And for being here for me_.

 

“Of course.” He replied distractedly. Mike’s breath caught in his chest when Harvey leaned forward. His cinnamon and strangely whiskey scent with a purely Harvey aroma invaded his nostrils. Mike’s heart sped up as Harvey swiped his finger across Mike’s bottom lip, the nerves behind his lips tingling from the gentle touch of his rough, padded thumb. Mike watched, transfixed at the sight of Harvey licking his thumb clean.

 

“That’s the best ice cream I’ve had in a while.” He said, his voice rough. Mike blushed, saved from a response when Donna burst into the room, a blur of red curls and murderous eyes.

 

“Okay, Mike. How much pain do you want Louis to be in right now?” She asked before stopping short. A strange twinkle appearing in her eyes. “Did I interrupt anything?”

 

“Not at all!” Mike exclaimed quickly, feeling Harvey’s gaze on him. “I mean, no. Nothing. We were just sitting.”

 

“Hmm.” Donna said, disbelievingly. “Well, Harvey took care of the food and clothes, huh?” Mike looked down at his body. He was wearing a t-shirt and nice comfortable sweats; he recognized them from his closet. Harvey must’ve changed him out of his clothes.

 

 _Oh._ Harvey _changed him out of_ his clothes.

 

Mike’s blush deepened.

 

“Louis is giving you a week off.” Donna said, heading out the door. “I’m glad you feel better, Mike.” She called as she exited the room. Mike thanked her and looked awkwardly at his hands, trying to avoid Harvey, who seemed to be content to _keep staring at him_.

 

* * *

 

" _Louis Litt!” Donna yelled later that day. “We told you to make Mike go running to Harvey, not to hurt him, you bastard!”_

 

_“I’m sorry!” The alleged bastard exclaimed, ducking to avoid a flying pillow. “I didn’t know that Mike would get hurt!”_

 

_“That doesn’t matter! You should’ve been more goddamned careful!” Donna exclaimed, smiling with satisfaction when she heard Louis shriek in pain. Looks like the stapler hit the target. She stared at the man cowering behind his desk, her chest heaving as she tried to regain her breath. It felt good to see him so repentant. It almost made her pity him._

 

_“It worked though, didn’t it?” A small, but still smug voice said._

 

Almost _. Donna thought before getting another pillow to whack him again._

 

**WORD COUNT: 2,887**


	5. Donna and the Shocking Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What are you doing here?!" He asked, still staring at the tall man in confusion. 
> 
>  
> 
> "I needed to see you." The man replied, standing up to come closer to him. 
> 
>  
> 
> "Get away from me, Trevor." His former best friend (and his ex-boyfriend, although he'd never told anyone that) sighed, running his hands through his dark, soft hair. Mike's fingers itched softly, but he turned away, busying himself by taking off his shoes and jacket. 
> 
>  
> 
> "Mikey. I came all the way here from goddamn Montana to see you." Trevor whined, following Mike as he went into his room to change his clothes. "Just have a drink with me, please?" Trevor pleaded. Mike went into the bathroom and shut the door, slumping down and resting his head in his hands. 
> 
>  
> 
> Oh god. Trevor, his ex-boyfriend, was standing outside. The ex that had almost got him busted for possession of drugs. The ex who cheated on him with Jenny. The ex that had hugged him when he was kicked out of school and given him a place to stay. The ex that had held him throughout the night. The ex that was his oldest friend, and always would be. Mike sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost done! Hope you like this chapter, and once again, thank you all for reading and kudos-giving and commenting, etc.

 

__

_ "I don't know what else we'll need to do for Harvey to make his fucking move." Louis complained, slumping down in his seat in his office.  _

__

_ "It's impossible!" Rachel agreed, throwing his hands up in the air. _

__

_ "Maybe they're just not meant to be." Harold said sullenly. _

__

_ "No!" The other three yelled in unison. Harold shrank back in his seat, eyes wide as he nodded his consent. _

__

_ "Listen, troops. I understand why you may have been... discouraged." Donna began, standing in front of the other three with her arms crossed over her chest. "But we need to keep our morale up, and remember our goal. Marvey forever!" She finished enthusiastically. _

__

_ "Marvey forever." They repeated diligently. Donna rolled her eyes.  _

__

_ "It's okay children. You just need a miracle to restore your faith in humanity." Donna stated, turning away from them and heading to the door of Louis's office. "Lucky for you, I'm a miracle worker." _

__

_ Donna heads to the file room swiftly, glaring at any associates who dare to make eye contact with Harvey Specter's infamous secretary. Mike is sitting at one of the table alone, a stack of files as tall as her heels sitting next to him as he sorts through them. He doesn't seem to notice her enter, too absorbed in the file. That razor-like focus of his was an excellent skill, and one of the many, many reasons that Harvey decided to hire him (or rather not fire him).  _

__

_ "Mike." Donna said, and at the sound of his name, the associate finally looked up. _

__

_ "Hi Donna." He said, putting his highlighter down. "Does Harvey need me?" He stood up, wincing ust the slightest. Donna resisted the urge to smile, mollified by that little smile which she knew was inadvertently her fault.  _

__

_ "You are not going anywhere. Sit down." She ordered, pointing at the chair. Mike's gaze shifted between the chair and her before he turned his puppy dog eyes on to her, wide and pleading. She raised an eyebrow, the simple action conveying a very threatening message, clearly, because a moment later, Mike was sitting in his seat, staring up at her with defiance. Tenacious, stubborn little puppy. _

__

_ "Please Donna?" He asked. "I have crutches!" Donna seized the opportunity she saw. _

__

_ "Fine." She rolled her eyes when she heard Mike's cheer. "On one condition." Mike sobered slightly, now looking at her suspiciously. "You, me, my friend, date night. 'nough said."  _

__

_ "Hell no! No more surprise dates! Look what the last one did to me!" He protested, pointing at his ankle. Donna thought she would surely go to hell for this. _

__

_ "I guess you won't be seeing Harvey anytime soon." Donna said, grabbing Mike's crutches and holding them away from him. Donna stared him into submission, and he finally nodded. _

__

_ "Good puppy." _

 

* * *

_ "Donna!" Harvey yelled later that day. She looked up from her computer to see a livid Harvey storming to her desk. "My office. Now." He demanded, his voice low and tight in a way that struck true fear in her heart. She had only seen Harvey this angry at her twice before; once when she'd posed as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, resulting in a fraud case, and once when she'd shredded the memo Harvey was accused of burying.  _

__

_ She quickly walked inside. "Close the door." Harvey ordered, and for once Donna did as she was told. She stood in front of his desk, watching him cautiously. He was facing the window, obviously hiding his face on purpose. No matter, she could easily read his body language for clues as to why he was angry. _

__

_ "What's wrong?" She asked slightly nervously. Angry Harvey was scary, but a Harvey that was angry at her... well that was downright terrifying, although she'd never admit it. _

__

_ "Did you force Mike to go on a date with one of your friends?" He finally asked, his shoulders stiffening. Donna breathed a slight sigh of relief. Thank god. She thought this had been about something much more serious. _

__

_ "I didn't force him, per se, I just coerced him into doing what I asked." She replied, mirth coloring her tone. _

__

_ "Donna. You cannot force Mike to go on a date with someone." Harvey said. Donna stepped back a few steps, sensing that Harvey was about to explode. _

__

_ "Harvey. Have you ever thought that Mike wants to date people?" She asked softly. _

__

_ "That doesn’t matter! He's my associate and you can't order him to go out with some hooligan! He has to do what I say, and if I say that he can't date, then he fucking can't date!" Harvey yelled, finally turning around to face Donna. He looked horrible; his eyes were red and his face was pale, like all of its blood had been drained away. _

__

_ "What did you do, Harvey?" She asked, her voice carrying the slightest of tremors.  _

__

_ "I-I forbade him from going on the date." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose.  _

__

_ "Harvey." She said simply, coming closer to him and laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. _

__

_ "I don't know what to do, Donna!" Harvey said, breaking down. "Seeing him in the hospital unconscious... it did something to me. Now whenever I see him my heart starts beating faster and I can't breathe. I try to keep eye contact with him but all I see is the image of him lying on that stupid goddamned hospital bed and that just makes me want to rip someone's throat out."  _

__

_ "Shh. It's okay Harvey." Donna soothed, rubbing his back and leading him to sit down on the couch. Oh my. The two of them were in much, much deeper than she'd thought. _

__

_ "What's happening to me, Donna?" Harvey asked, his eyes wild. _

__

_ "You're in love, Harvey, and you're finally realizing it." She said, patting his shoulder and leaving his office. She had some preparations to make. Harvey had taken the final plunge, and now it was Mike's turn to decide to pursue Harvey. _

_ _   


* * *

 

Mike shuddered as he wrapped his jacket around his body. He'd gone home after Harvey had yelled at him, ultimately forbidding him from going on the date with Donna and her friend. Although he'd been reluctant at the time when she' d asked him, he had been looking forward to going to the art gallery if not for the good company, then at least for good art. 

No matter though. If Harvey was so angry at the idea of his associate spending time with someone else, then he would never do it. Whatever Harvey wanted, he'd do.

He stumbled up the stairs to his apartment, the only picture in his mind of a nice bottle of Jack Daniels, currently sitting in his fridge. His briefcase was thrown on the couch once the door opened and e flicked on the lights, letting out a (very manly, I assure you) shriek at the sight of a dark haired man sitting on the couch.

"What are you doing here?!" He asked, still staring at the tall man in confusion. 

"I needed to see you." The man replied, standing up to come closer to him. 

"Get away from me, Trevor." His former best friend (and his ex-boyfriend, although he'd never told anyone that) sighed, running his hands through his dark, soft hair. Mike's fingers itched softly, but he turned away, busying himself by taking off his shoes and jacket.

"Mikey. I came all the way here from goddamn Montana to see you." Trevor whined, following Mike as he went into his room to change his clothes. "Just have a drink with me, please?" Trevor pleaded. Mike went into the bathroom and shut the door, slumping down and resting his head in his hands.

Oh god. Trevor, _ his ex-boyfriend _ , was standing outside. The ex that had almost got him busted for possession of drugs. The ex who cheated on him with Jenny. The ex that had hugged him when he was kicked out of school and given him a place to stay. The ex that had held him throughout the night. The ex that was his oldest friend, and always would be. Mike sighed.

He changed into a plaid t-shirt and jeans, brushing his hair and slowly opening the door. Trevor was sitting on his bed, looking as if he belonged there.

"Fine." He agreed, causing Trevor's head to snap up at him. "But you're paying." He said with a smile, causing Trevor to grin.

They walked to the nearest bar side by side, hands brushing with every step. They entered the bar and found two seats at the counter.

"How's Montana?" Mike asked as they waited for their drinks.

"It's good. Hot." Trevor replied, laughing when Mike made a face. "I miss New York." Mike hummed, tapping his fingers against the counter awkwardly.  Why don't you come back?  He wanted to ask, but he didn't. He knew why. They both did.

"Are you still... you know, dealing?" He asked hesitantly, taking a long sip of the drink the bartender handed to him. His throat burned as the whiskey ran down it, but the pleasantly warm feeling in his stomach made up for it.

"No way, man. I'm changed. I opened my own little bakery." Trevor said, and Mike giggled at the image of Trevor in a little chef's hat and apron, covered in flour. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, just imagining you in an apron that says kiss the cook." Trevor made a face at that and Mike laughed out loud, causing Trevor to smirk. 

"Would you?" He asked, causing to Mike to give him a confused look. "Kiss the cook, I mean?" Mike gulped down his drink, his throat suddenly very dry. He thought of Harvey for a minute before quickly banishing the thought. It was time to move on from Harvey, and the first step would be to reconnect with Trevor.

"Yeah." He said, looking into Trevor's hopeful eyes. "I would." And then he leaned forward and kissed him, moaning at the taste of whiskey on his lips. Trevor seemed surprised before he quickly regained composure, easily taking over the kiss. A warm tongue probed at Mike's lips and he automatically opened them up, the feeling of familiarity and warmth that surged through him enough to make him emotional.

Mike pulled away, tears coming to his eyes. Oh God. How could he do this? He liked Harvey... he knew it. And he knew that Harvey liked him back. It felt like he was cheating on Harvey.

"What's wrong?" Trevor asked, cupping his cheek with a soft, firm hand.

"I can't do this." Mike said, looking away from him. "There's someone else... I really like him." Mike confessed, dropping his head into his hands.

"Are you... together?" Trevor asked, his voice impossibly soft. Mike almost sobbed as another wave of guilt rushed through him. He shook his head. "Then why not?"

"I can't Trevor, I won't betray him!" Mike exclaimed, turning away from Trevor to gulp down the rest of his drink. "Barkeep! Another please." The bartender nodded, taking his cup but Trevor stopped him.

"Switch him to water. He's had enough." Trevor said with a stern look to Mike. "Do you love him?" He asked seriously.

"What kind of question is that?" Mike asked, although his heart started beating faster and his throat began to choke up. He drank some of the water in front of him.

"A simple one. Do. You. Love. Him?" Trevor asked, keeping his eyes trained on Mike. 

"Yes." He finally said, nodding his head shakily to confirm. "I love Harvey."

"Harvey? As in  _ your boss _  Harvey Specter?" Trevor asked incredulously before his gaze turned suspicious. "Is that how you got your job, by fucking him like some two-cent whore? And here I was about to support you and encourage you to go after him when you tell me that you're a goddamn slut, pretending to be a good lawyer."

Mike gaped at him. He silently took his drink and poured it over Trevor's head. " _ You bastard. I did not sleep with Harvey to get my job. He hired me because he thought I was incredibly intelligent. And I am a damn good lawyer! _ " He seethed before getting up and storming out of the bar.

Idiot. Why would you ever trust Trevor?! He fucking cheated on you. He doesn't care about you, idiot. All he wants is a goddamn fuck. That entire speech about going after Harvey? Total. Bullshit. 

Mike kept walking, muttering angrily to himself. When he finally looked up to find out where he was, he realized that he was four blocks away from Harvey's place. He kept walking until he reached Harvey's building, smiling at the doorman who allowed him to go up the  glass elevator.  Holy hell. Harvey's building never failed to amaze him. 

He only freaked out when he reached Harvey's door. He stood outside, hand raised as if he were going to knock before he dropped it. What the hell was he doing here? It was a fucking Friday night? Harvey probably had some nice, beautiful girl over and they were probably... kissing right now. The thought of Harvey kissing anyone else made him want to curl up in a ball and cry.

He steeled himself and raised his hand to knock on the door when it swung open and he came face to face with Harvey, who looked absolutely divine in a tight fitting white shirt and blue jeans. 

"Hi Harvey." He said lamely, still gaping at his boss. Yes. His boss. Do not jump your boss, Mike. 

"Come in. The doorman told me you were here." Harvey ushered him inside, taking his jacket. Mike sat down at Harvey's dining table, observing Harvey as he appeared to be cooking something.

"So... tell me what happened." Harvey demanded as he put the plate in front of Mike. Mike drooled at the sight of pasta; it was excellently prepared, with sauce drizzled over it and the slightest bits of basil for extra taste. Yum.

"Trevor came back." He said as he dug into the food, moaning slightly at the taste. Harvey paused to stare at him. "He and I went for drinks."

"Why did you agree in the first place, Mike? I told you that he was an anchor and that you had to let him go." Harvey demanded, putting his fork down and glaring at Mike, who suddenly felt like he was being attacked.

"You sending him away to goddamn Montana doesn't change the fact that he was, and still is, my oldest friend, Harvey!" He replied, raising his voice a little near the end and immediately regretting it when Harvey's glare intensified. The older man pursed his lips and drank some water, as if to calm himself down.

"You know I did that to protect you." He said tightly. "Continue." Mike cleared his throat and looked away from his boss, feeling the tension in the atmosphere diffuse into his bones. 

"We kissed." He said in a small voice, watching as Harvey's jaw tightened. "And then he called me a slut so I poured my drink on top of him." Harvey smiled slightly, causing Mike to dispel a sigh of relief.

"A slut?" Harvey asked questioningly and Mike nodded, still glad that some of the tension in the room had dissipated. "Why would he call you that?"

"No reason. He was just angry because I didn't want to get back together with him." Mike lied, feeling guilty about how easily the fib rolled off his tongue. "It was nothing."

Harvey seemed unconvinced. "Well, he deserved it. Why didn't you get together with him though?" Harvey pressed. It must've been the wine or the good food or the sleepiness, maybe all of these things together, because the next thing he knew, he was telling Harvey the truth. 

"Because I'm in love with someone else." Sort of the truth. Harvey held his gaze for a very long, long time. "And it's taken me a while to accept that I can't go after him. I wasn't ready to start a new relationship with an old ex. If you love someone, then let 'em go." He said bitterly, shoving another forkful of pasta into his mouth.

"Mike, that's not true. If you love someone, then you have to go after them." Harvey said, and Mike looked at him in surprise. He hadn't expected Harvey to be so open to him being in love with someone. It just solidified the fact that he's not interested.

"Well, he's clearly not interested in me, so that primarily along with another whole host of reasons is enough to discourage me." Mike said, still looking away from Harvey. He never thought that he'd be sitting with Harvey on a Friday night, discussing his nonexistent relationship with  Harvey. 

"Mike." Harvey said gently. "Look at me." Mike did as he was bid, meeting Harvey's brown eyes reluctantly. "If you love someone, none of those things really matter. All that matters is that you at least attempt at something." His expression hardened slightly. "And if he rejects you, then it wasn't meant to be. Any man would be beyond lucky to have you."

Mike desperately wanted to say,  any man except for you.  But then he saw something else in Harvey's eyes, something that he thought he'd seen in Trevor's eyes and something that had always been there in his parents' eyes when they looked at each other. He couldn't describe it. It was similar to a spark or a flash.. He could only say that it was there one second and well hidden the other. 

"Okay." He said, giving Harvey a shaky smile and receiving a blinding one in response.

* * *

 

_ "Donna?" Harvey asked the next day, gesturing at her from his office. "I just wanted to apologize for yelling at you yesterday. You didn't deserve that." He said, and Donna smiled at him. "Thank you for helping me." _

__

_ Donna nodded. "Naturally, Harvey. I am the organizer of your life, expert on all things Harvey Specter-related." She turned away from him and headed towards the door. _

__

_ "One more thing, Donna." She stopped, her hand on the door handle as her heart began to beat faster. Did he figure it out? "Do you happen to know anything about Trevor Evans's mysterious reappearance?" _

__

_ Donna grinned to herself. Yes, Harvey, I can tell you're angry. "Of course not. But I'm all over his disappearance." _

__

_ She left the office to the sound of Harvey's laugh, relieved that her actions hadn't lost her a best friend and brother. _

_**** _

** WORD COUNT: 3,097 **


	6. The Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tell Harvey that Charles Colby is coming to visit." Donna gaped at her. 
> 
>  
> 
> "Charles Colby?" Jessica nodded. "The Charles Arthur Colby?" Another nod, this time followed by an exasperated look. 
> 
>  
> 
> "He and Harvey will have lunch at noon tomorrow. Reschedule any prior appointments." Jessica sifted through her papers. 
> 
>  
> 
> "Lunch tomorrow?" Jessica looked up to give Donna a glare. 
> 
>  
> 
> "Is this going to be a problem?" She asked, gesturing to Donna. Donna shook her head. "Okay, then. You can leave now." 
> 
>  
> 
> And Donna did just that, beaming at Rachel when she caught up to the brunette. "You know that final push we needed? Yeah, It's already in motion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the final installment! It's kinda short :(
> 
> Harvey's perspective, btw :)

_ "Oh my god, Donna! They're flirting!" Rachel exclaimed as she watched Harvey lean over Mike's shoulder to point something out on a file that he missed, because he was clearly distracted by the feeling of Harvey's chest against his back. The younger man gave his mentor a blinding smile, peeking up at him flirtatiously through his eyelashes. "You're a goddamn miracle worker!"  _

__

_ "Did you ever doubt me?" Rachel immediately shook her head. "Not quite done yet... maybe I can convince Mike to go on a date with Aaron." _

__

_ "You'll have a hard time doing that without making Harvey angry. Besides, Mike seems to be making eyes only at Harvey nowadays. He won't leave him alone!"  _

__

_ The two discussed what they could possibly do as they headed towards the door. _

__

_ "Donna?" The redhead immediately stopped when Jessica called her name. She gestured for Rachel to go on. _

__

_ "Yes, Jessica?" She asked as she came closer to the other woman. Donna Paulsen was not scared of many things, but the woman who fired her that one time, she was terrifying.  _

__

_ "Tell Harvey that Charles Colby is coming to visit." Donna gaped at her. _

__

_ "Charles Colby?" Jessica nodded. "The Charles Arthur Colby?" Another nod, this time followed by an exasperated look. _

__

_ "He and Harvey will have lunch at noon tomorrow. Reschedule any prior appointments." Jessica sifted through her papers. _

__

_ "Lunch tomorrow?" Jessica looked up to give Donna a glare. _

__

_ "Is this going to be a problem?" She asked, gesturing to Donna. Donna shook her head. "Okay, then. You can leave now."  _

__

_ And Donna did just that, beaming at Rachel when she caught up to the brunette. "You know that final push we needed? Yeah, It's already in motion." _

* * *

"Your twelve'o clock's here, Harvey." Donna said through the intercom, causing Harvey to look up from his files and give her a wide-eyed look, signaling that he'd forgotten about Charles goddamn Colby's visit to the firm. Donna mouthed " I'm sorry"  to him and he mouthed " It's okay"  back as they engaged in a brief silent conversation. "You have to meet him at the door."She said aloud. 

Harvey groaned and gathered up his files, shoving them into his briefcase and heading out of his office door. As he approached the door, his eye started twitching at the thought of Charles,  good  ol' Charlie.  There were a lot of incompetent people in Harvey's social circles, but Charles Coly deserved his own category of incompetence.

The eye-twitching only worsened when he saw a familiar head of blonde hair and tanned, acne-infested skin.  Harvey noted this with a smirk; his own skin was perfect, except for two beauty marks, thank you very much.  The portly man was staring at the sign on the door with a contemplative look on his face.

"Charles, it's  great  to see you." Harvey greeted the other man, shaking his hand reluctantly. 

"Nice to see you too, Harv." Harvey's eye twitched and his perfectly-plastic smile faltered just the slightest before widening. His cheeks fucking hurt. "You finally got your name on the door, huh?" He asked, gesturing to the sign on the door proclaiming the firm to be named Pearson  Specter.  "Number five gets you places too, huh?"

Harvey mentally harrumphed at the other man's audacity. Charles knew fully well that Harvey was one of the youngest people to ever get their name on the door; it was an amazing accomplishment that everyone acknowledged with at least a modicum of respect. Just because he was number five in their class in Harvard and Charles was second clearly didn't mean that Charles was smarter. 

"Yes." He gritted his teeth as he spoke his next sentence. "And you've written another book on law." He said with a nod. Charles looked pleased.

"So you've read it?" 

"No. I don't read books on how to become a better lawyer," Harvey started, tempted to finish the sentence with  'cause I'm already fucking amazing,  "I learn from my mistakes and never repeat them again. Let's go to my office." 

He approached his door, a smile already coming to his face when he notices the person sitting on his couch. Normally, he'd verbally humiliate the person for coming into his office without permission, but Mike was an exception. To this rule, and many more.

The younger man looked up when he noticed Harvey come in, jumping to his feet and beginning an excited rant. "Harvey! I found it! Section 4A.C of the New York Legislative Handbook on Enterprise says that all persons with interest in a prospective company must sign a contract.  Sign, Harvey! Verbal contracts don't count!  And you said I couldn't do it! Up top!" 

Harvey resisted the urge to grin, instead shaking his head and taking the file from Mike's hands. He was keenly aware of Charles's beady eyes watching his every move and consequently, Mike's, as the puppy followed him around the office while he tried to read the file.

"And who might this wonderful creature be, Harv?" Colby leered, giving Mike a slow once-over. Harvey's fists balled up and he glanced toward his signed baseball bat longingly, already imagining Colby's  sniveling  little face. He counted to ten in his head and smiled at Colby. 

" Charlie,  meet Mike Ross, my associate. Mike, Charles Colby." He sneered Charles's nickname, but his voice became much warmer when he spoke to Mike. Colby came closer to Mike, grinning at the pup.

"You're Charles Colby, bestselling author on help books for lawyers to be?" Mike asked, his tone becoming admirable. Harvey resisted the urge to shake the young man's thin (perfect) shoulders and yell at (gently explain to) him that Colby was a snake and a pathetic lawyer who couldn't even be a lawyer as he was too incompetent to handle real life law. 

"Why, yes, yes I am! Are you a fan, young man?" Colby said, his hand lingering on Mike's. Harvey mentally scoffed as Mike shook his hand. The only thing that was stopping him from ripping Colby's hands off his arms was the fact that Mike had told him about this horrible book he'd read for research when he first got the job. The associate had said that the advice had been complete and utter shite, quite vehemently. But he'd also said that it was admirable that the author had graduated from Harvard, so clearly some of the advice must be applicable. Mike didn't respect Colby, and that was enough for Harvey to  control  himself. Well, that and the fact that blood was a  bitch  to get out of his carpet.

"Your books are quite... interesting. The provide a  different  view of the world of law." Mike said graciously, throwing Harvey a sidelong look that told him that he was remembering their talk too. Harvey smirked. 

"Really? I'd love to hear more over dinner, maybe?" Charles asked and Harvey almost face-palmed himself. Seriously? He was definitely not Mike's type, right? Mike only dated people he respected. 

But then again, he had gone on those horrible dates these couple weeks. And hero-worship could easily turn to love. 

"That's a great idea. We'll go to the Rose Garden at eight." Harvey said smoothly, smirk widening when Mike threw him a grateful look, only to blush bright red a minute later. Harvey raised an eyebrow, perplexed at the reaction, not that he minded. A blushing Mike was  adorable.

Charles glared at him, but Harvey just shrugged innocently. The other man stormed out of the room angrily, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. Harvey didn't hear what Colby said, nor did he want to. 

All that mattered was that he was now supervising their evening together. 

* * *

The trio arrived at the restaurant on time, the entire drive there spent in an uncomfortable silence.

When they were seated, Colby immediately ordered a bottle of wine. 

"Why don't you choose, dear boy?" Colby asked, smirking at Mike. The associate glanced at the wine menu, looking confused. Harvey, from his well chosen seat to Mike's left, could tell that he had no idea what any of these wines were like.  He pretended to drop his napkin near Mike's chair and leant down to pick it up,  whispering  in Mike's ear as he rose up.

"Chardonnay. White." Mike smiled at him gratefully.

"I-I guess we'll get the white Chardonnay." Mike ordered, blushing. Harvey's throat closed up when the younger man put his hand on his knee, squeezing softly as an acknowledgment. 

The dinner continued without a hitch. Harvey effortlessly ordered for him and Mike (for which he received a glare from Colby and an adorable, kissable pout from Mike). He was doing a good deed; if he let Mike choose, then the associate would probably end up ordering something with peanuts in it by accident.

Mike was horribly allergic to peanuts. And shellfish.

What?! He was Mike's employer. He needed to know these things. 

Harvey was distracting himself from Charles's obnoxious attempts at conversation with Mike by eating as obscenely as he could, practically performing fellatio on his fork. He loved how Mike's breath hitched whenever Harvey let out a pleased moan at the taste of the soup or pasta.

He and Mike were sitting in such close proximity that he could literally smell Mike's hair. It was slightly damp, indicating that he'd washed it today, and the scent of  strawberries  of all things and a uniquely Mike musk wafted into his nose every time he breathed. 

Everything went to hell during dessert though. Mike was sucking on a strawberry, bright pink lips wrapped around the fruit, a little bit of chocolate staining his bottom lip. Harvey watched avidly as a bright pink tongue flicked it away. God. Harvey imagined biting into the flesh... or seeing Mike's pink lips wrapped around a part of his body. His pants felt tighter, and he  surreptitiously  rearranged them, standing to excuse himself. 

"I'll be right back." He promised to Mike, nodding slightly at Colby as he headed to the bathroom.

He splashed cold water on his face, forcing himself to think of anything but Mike. He thought of his mother and father fucking (a sight that had scarred him for life), big Bertha from the D.A.'s office. The thought of Louis's ratlike face finally worked; his erection wilted away. He'd thank Louis tomorrow, he promised himself. He smirked as he imagined Louis's red, scrunched up face.

He exited the bathroom after ten or so minutes, heading back to the table and stopping short when he noticed that Mike had stood up and was leaning across the table, a furious expression on his face. Colby looked terrified, but was hiding it with a nonchalant smirk. Heh. Loser, only Harvey could pull off the nonchalant, charming smirk.

" _ You have no right whatsoever talking about Harvey like that! While he may be an ass, he is twice the man you could  ever  even  _ hope _ to be! He is an  amazing  lawyer. Do you know how much he's done for me? For our firm? No you don’t! So you of all people can't talk about the my mentor,  _ the man I love,  _ like that. _ "  Mike's chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, his face still red and flushed. Harvey gaped at him for a moment before regaining his composure. Oh puppy.

"Thank you for the dinner." Mike said, his face impassive. He placed fifty dollars on the table and turned his heel, about to storm out of the room when he noticed Harvey staring at him. His eyes widened and he quickly scurried out of the room. 

Harvey came to the table and grabbed his jacket and briefcase. 

"Is he a good fuck?" Colby asked. Harvey's eye twitched. He stood in front of Colby, his fist balling up.

In one swift move, he punched Colby straight in the face, smirking at the satisfying crunch of bones in  his  nose. "What the fuck?!" Colby yelled. 

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." Harvey said, shaking his hand sightly. He turned away from Colby and headed for the door. He could hear Colby calling him a "faggot" and a "fairy" from behind him, but Harvey's focus was trained on finding Mike and comforting him. And then kissing the hell out of the younger man.

"Mike?" He asked as he saw a shadowy figure sitting on the curb. The younger man had his head down, blonde hair messed up like Mike had been running his fingers through it nervously. It looked perfect in Harvey's opinion. He seated himself next to Mike.

"Please don't tease me, Harvey. I'm not really in the mood." Harvey grinned to himself. Mike was adorable when he was being melodramatic. As he stared at the young man next to him, he wondered how lucky he'd gotten to ever find such an extraordinary person like him. Mike was everything he could wish for. Harvey adored everything about him, from his lithe, lean body and bright blue eyes to his amazing mind and beautiful, beautiful smile.

He wanted to see that smile right now. And when Harvey Specter wanted something, he would get it. 

"Did you mean what you said in there?" Harvey asked, keeping his tone light and conversational as he tilted Mike's chin up with a gentle hand to look into those bright blue eyes, shining with love and fear and  anxiety. Mike nodded shakily. "Good."

Harvey swooped him and covered Mike's mouth with his own, lips curving up at Mike's muffled squeak which quickly turned into a moan. He wanted to kiss Mike more but he needed to say something first. He pulled away, taking a moment to enjoy Mike's flushed skin and swollen lip.

"I love you too."

And then he claimed Mike's lips once more, with only thought running through his head.

_ Finally all mine.  _

  **WORD COUNT: 2,303**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading! I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone who gave me kudos or bookmarked this fic or commented. You kept me going. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this fic. It's my very first time writing fanfic, really, so sorry for any mistakes or awkwardness...
> 
> Have a great weekend everyone :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to give credit where it's due. The inspiration for this fanfic comes from "The Frogs that Lead to the Prince", a Criminal Minds fanfic written by impulsiveanswer. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and please tell me what you think!


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